


Romae Dei

by noksindra (Rubikon)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Coliseum, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gladiator AU, M/M, Roman Era AU, Slow Burn, gladiator, roman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-22 06:29:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 46,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9588800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubikon/pseuds/noksindra
Summary: Roman Era/Gladiator AU.Alec Lightwood is a soon-to-be Senator who struggles to accept himself. Magnus Bane is a new Gladiator with a dark past, looking for revenge.What happens when Alec becomes Magnus' sponsor in the arena?





	1. Omnes via Romam perducunt (All roads lead to Rome)

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii guys!~  
> Here it is! The first chapter of my Roman Era Malec AU: Romae Dei!
> 
> It was supposed to be a one shot but well... this got a bit out of hand haha!
> 
> I would like to thank everyone who has been supporting me from the beginning, encouraging me to keep writing - i love you guys <3 - and especially Lu (aka lecrit aka @_L_ecrit) for beta-ing this story and helping me through this wild adventure! Love you <3
> 
> Sooo, concerning the story, I've made quite a bit of googling to be as accurate as possible, so I hope you'll enjoy. And when I couldn't find enough information about something, I had to use my imagination; hopefully you'll like the mix of both! 
> 
> If you're live-tweeting, please use the hashtag #RomaeDei!  
> Come talk to/yell at me on both Twitter and Tumblr, I'm @noksindra~
> 
> I'll leave you to it now and please: ENJOY! <3

“Come on, Alec, we’re going to be late,” Robert’s voice resonated through the left wing of the villa, his steps echoing against the hard surface of the stone flooring of the corridor. Alec looked up from his parchments and stood up, adjusting his toga as he did.    
  
He sighed. “I’ll be right there,” he replied, loud enough for his father to hear, and then, rearranged the different books and sheets of paper on his desk, ordering them as usual, before exiting his room.

When he reached the atrium, his family was already gathered there. Maryse and Robert looked annoyed, his mother clearly on the verge of losing her patience. “Finally. You’re here,” she said when she caught sight of him. Alec saw Isabelle rolling her eyes.

She turned to their mother, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’re far from late, and if you didn’t give Alec so much work then maybe -” 

“It’s okay, Izzy,” Alec assured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He looked down to smile at her, her sweet brown eyes boring into his. “I’m okay.”

“Well, let’s go,” Robert offered, gesturing with a wave of his hand toward the door. They all stepped outside, Jace and Izzy walking on both sides of Alec.

“So, Alec,” Maryse began, making her three children jerk their heads up to face her, “how are you studies going?” she pressed, as they made their way through the city. “You will become a senator soon, you have to be ready. This is a heavy task and we are a respected family.”

“I know, Mother,” Alec replied, gulping,” studies are going well. I’m actually quite finished with the parchments I have at home so I’ll have to return to the library soon.” He saw Izzy flinch out of the corner of his eyes.

Going to the library meant Alec would see Simon, one of the librarians, and also Izzy’s secret dalliance. They were in love - disgustingly so, according to Jace - and Alec felt bad for both of them because they’d never be able to get married. He didn’t know how far they’d already gone on a physical level, but he knew it was a risky situation. 

Isabelle was the daughter of a High Senator and a respected - and also feared - woman. She was the perfect Domina, running the house and giving orders to the slaves. They were a patrician family, which meant they could only marry someone from a high-ranking family as well.

Simon was a plebeian. Their parents would never make it work. They’d rather see their daughter with an old, wealthy, educated Senator than with a young yet just as educated ordinary citizen.

Plus, Isabelle had already defied the rules - to their parents’ dismay - and decided to stand on her own two feet by becoming a physician, and a brilliant one at that. Although most women relied on their husbands or fathers to live, Isabelle had cut the bullshit straight away and had stood for herself when other medical students - all male - had laughed at her, saying that girls were too emotional to be scientists, or that they lacked strength.

So, of course, Isabelle had challenged them to a duel. They had laughed at her. Their laughters died when they saw the way she handled the sword, even with the long stripes of material covering her body. Growing up with two brothers who would have to go through military service, Isabelle had been secretly taught how to fight by Alec and Jace.

When Maryse and Robert had heard about her fighting, they had been furious, especially their mother. She had lashed out on her, humiliated her in front of their villa for all the district to hear. But Isabelle, fierce and proud as ever, had stood her ground and, although tears had gathered in her eyes, retorted to their mother that she would be who she pleased and that she didn’t care if she never found a husband, because she could take care of herself, financially and physically, before storming off in the streets.

When she came back quietly, the moon was already high in the sky and she sneaked into Alec’s quarters, sobbing. He had reassured her, telling her that he was proud to be her big brother.

After that, their parents had relied on Jace and Alec to make their family proud.

But, it appeared that Jace also had a troubled relationship with the daughter of a former Senator now imprisoned, Valentine. The little red-headed girl, whose name was Clary, had learned Valentine was her father after his aborted coup. Authorities had looked for his relatives, and they had dug out his ex-wife, Jocelyn, who was now married to another Senator, Luke.

Needless to say, the love story between a centurion of the Roman army and the daughter of a traitorous Senator had been a scandal, until gossips eventually faded out when it was acknowledged that Clary had never interacted with her biological father.

Yet, Maryse had felt betrayed by their adoptive son, nearly shutting him out of the family. Alec and Robert had intervened, and she had eventually calmed down.

The only one, besides Alec, who had not royally fucked up in their mother's eyes was Max, their youngest member of their family. Yet, with what had happened to him a few years ago, Maryse no longer relied on her youngest son either, even though it was his fault at all.

_ Yes, Alec had a great mother. _

Alec felt bad for them, for the way Maryse had treated his siblings, especially because he was so protective of them, but he knew his situation would never be any better. He was to become a Senator, and as much as he was keen on reading political and historical books, he knew his mother saw him as another pawn in the political game of survival.

Even though she claimed to be only a Domina, everyone knew she was the one pulling the strings, and that her husband was only a puppet, a facade. And she intended to use Alec the same way.

_ Alec wouldn’t let her. _

He was still holding his mother’s gaze when she spoke. “Good,” she simply replied, her voice cold and impassible. Alec could have sworn he had heard her mutter to herself something like “not another family disappointment”. He swallowed hard.

They took their usual seats, among the other patricians. It was a beautiful, clear day, with very few clouds at the horizon, and Alec felt the sun beat down against the uncovered pale skin of his neck.

The Coliseum was slowly being filled with people from diverse ranks, the atmosphere replete with a mixing of birds twittering and people chatting. Alec watched the scene silently, his eyes drifting from left to right, feeling like an outsider. He didn’t mind that much going to the fighting pits, because seeing the real, wild animals was fascinating to him, but he always felt bad when the creature succumbed to his injuries, and the warrior was declared victorious.

He had served the Roman army, he had fought alongside men who were gone and buried now. He was a gifted fighter - his centurion had told him so at the time - but he had never been meant to fight. He was the first born of a patrician family, which came with a life in politics. 

A path in life his mother was choosing for him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the loud sound of a horn echoed through the amphitheater, silencing all the spectators at once. Then, one of the iron gates of the pit slowly went up, the lack of lubricating oil unbearable to the ears, and a leather clad, blond man came into view, lifting his right hand up to greet the public.

Alec smiled when he recognized the man. 

_ Hodge. _

He was a family friend, and one of the first people to teach him how to hold a sword. He didn’t know how he had met his father, but Robert and Hodge were friends. Maryse was more reserved, not that it was a surprise to anyone. 

Alec was admirative of Hodge because of the fierce passion he showed for his men’s well-being. He made sure to take great care of the gladiators, finding sponsors to feed them and he trained them well, encouraging them to push over their limits, until there was nothing stopping them and they were finally free.

Alec had been there once, at the Ludus gladiatorius - the gladiators’ barracks - Hodge ran, a few years ago. At that time, Hodge had shown him his new recruits and explained to him what he wanted his new men to accomplish. 

Most of the gladiators were thieves, war prisoners or slaves but Hodge only saw the men under the monikers. To him, they were all humans trying to escape death. If they won enough fights, they’d be free. That was Hodge’s goal, although he knew that most of them would die fighting comrades or wild beasts.

Alec wondered what it would be like to be a gladiator. He was born in a wealthy family, and would never think of betraying the Republic but he wondered what his life would be like if he had -

“Alec?” his mother’s voice cut through his thoughts and he shook his head, blinking a few times before staring at her.

“Yes, Mother?” he inquired, as he heard Hodge finish his speech.

“Don’t forget why you’re here. Look at the gladiators and choose one to sponsor. Choose wisely. You want him to survive as long as possible,” she said with a frown.

Alec nodded and sighed, sitting further back in his seat. Isabelle, who was sat beside him, peered back, finding his eyes, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I can help you choose, if you want,” she muttered, not loud enough for anyone else to hear, causing him to arch an eyebrow, “ ‘cause we both know you’re going to choose the one with the most sculpted abs,” she winked at him teasingly then and he didn’t even fight the urge to roll his eyes. A small laugh escaped her mouth, loud enough to earn a scolding gaze from Maryse.

He scoffed. “You’re impossible,” he tried to remain annoyed but he felt a small, genuine smile tug at his lips.

“I love you too, big bro,” she said, before turning toward the arena. He smiled at her warmly and she returned it with a grin of her own.

Nine gladiators entered the pit in a line, all walking beside one another. Their helmets were on, and they all wore a provocator attire - a sword, a large shield, a breastplate and metal leg cover on their left legs and an arm cover from their right shoulder to their hand - except for two of them, which meant there were seven new recruits.

Alec listened attentively when Hodge introduced the seven men whose gladiator names were unknown to the crowd. A rebellious Gallic, a Roman soldier who had defected one month before, three slaves given as fighters by their Master for the people of Rome to enjoy, an ‘exotic’ warrior captured in the far east of the Roman territory, and a Carthaginian.

Alec eyed them from helmet to toes. The bare, prominent muscles of their chests moving with every breath they took. It was a hot day, and Alec wouldn’t imagine what wearing a metallic armor felt like in that moment. 

They were just standing in the middle of the arena, and their torsos were already glistening with sweat. Alec found himself staring at one of them. 

He had beautiful bronze skin. His entire body was nothing but salient, hard muscles. His entrancing skin color was brought up by the red of the material covering his middle, and the blood-colored feathers of his helmet, as well as the shining, ocher shade of his incomplete armour. 

The veins of his arms were particularly noticeable, and Alec felt himself gulping hard. He could not see the gladiator’s face but if it was anywhere near the beauty of his body, Alec was in trouble.

It did not help either that the guy was swinging his sword with the dexterity of a great fighter, the muscles of his arms flexing with the movements.

Alec was in awe, sure, but mostly, he was intrigued.

He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.  _ What the fuck am I doing? Those are gladiators. I cannot. It wouldn’t be allowed, especially for a future Senator _ , the first voice in his head told him.

_ Maybe he is not good and he’ll die today in the pit. You’ll never see him again,  _ another voice resonated and Alec frowned _.  _ Why would he want someone to die? He could contain his physical attraction to the minimum and not care about the guy, because he was way out of his reach anyway.

“Damn,” he heard Jace breath next to him, “that ‘exotic’ warrior,” he air-quoted the adjective, “seems like a real beast. I mean, look at those abs? Almost as good as mine.” He smirked, his eyes glistening with mischief. “I bet he’ll make it to the end of the day. And,” he pointed at Alec with his index finger, “you’ll sponsor him.”

Alec cocked a dubious eyebrow, his eyes finally leaving the stranger to settle on his brother. “How do you know?” 

“I just know,” his grin widened. “And I’m always right,” he laughed when Alec shot him an unimpressed look. “No but seriously, it’s all in his stance. He is used to fighting, and I have no doubt he is great at it,” Alec nodded, he had noticed the way the man moved with ease and swiftness. 

.

When the first fight started, Alec felt somehow bored. He was now sitting with his right hand under his face, his elbow resting on his lap. The fight involved two of the slaves, not the copper-skinned man Alec had noticed. It was obvious that the slaves were not used to fighting, their movements were neither brutal nor accurate, and they seemed to hesitate before attacking each other.

Alec felt a pang of guilt tug at his chest. These two men hadn’t asked for this to happen. They were likely family, maybe brothers, and they had to fight each other under the scrutiny of the Clave - the highest ranking Senators, which Maryse wanted Robert to join - as well as the entire Senate, most patrician families and a large part of the plebe.

Fortunately for these poor souls, neither one of them were meant to die today, because, as new recruits, they were only in the arena to show off their skills and get sponsored for their upcoming fights. Sponsors were essential to gladiators, for they helped pay for their food and contributed to their good health by having a physician check them on a weekly basis. Sponsors could also offer some distractions to the gladiators, like pay for a private night with someone of their taste, for example.

When patricians noticed gladiators they were interested in sponsoring, they usually left the amphitheater before the end of the fight, so that they’d be the first to state their claim of their champion. 

So Alec wasn’t really surprised when nobody moved an inch during the fight of the two slaves - Alec felt sorry for them. Eventually, some people must have seen some kind of potential in them, because Alec saw a couple of patricians stand up and leave the Coliseum at the end of the fight, probably heading toward the gladiators’ quarters.

Another fight happened, involving one of the old recruits against a bear, and still Alec didn’t feel interested in the fight, especially when the fighter took the advantage over the groaning beast and killed it without second thoughts, the cheering crowd above him encouraging his slaughter.

Alec only straightened in his seat when the third fight of the day came. 

_ There he was. _

He walked in the pit with a confidence Alec wished he himself had, waving his sword at the crowd, which acclaimed him even louder. The man knew how to put up a show, that was for sure. He heard Isabelle chuckle beside him and his head turned to her on its own accord. “I like him,” she explained. “He is bold and confident in his skills.” 

Alec nodded and crossed his arms, his eyes raking over the gladiator’s body. He was playing with his sword, clinging it against his shield as the crowd acclaimed him, and bowed a few times. He moved with a grace and lightness that was surprising and he -

“Alec, you’re staring.”

“Shut up,” he breathed and she only laughed at him, poking him in the ribs lightly.

“It’s alright, big bro. That’s perfectly understandable,” she insisted, and he felt the dangerous, hot feel of a blush creeping on his cheeks. He shook his head to stop it from spreading.

“I’m just here to find a fighter to sponsor. What he looks like doesn’t matter,” he stated, more to himself than to Izzy. 

“Then, that’s a bonus,” Jace crashed into the conversation with a comment of his own. Alec gave him his most annoyed look he could muster at the moment, and Jace bit his lip to restrain a laugh. 

“Just… let’s watch,” Alec retorted, but didn’t miss the knowing look Jace and Izzy exchanged as his hazel eyes found the man in the arena once again. 

.

When Magnus entered the arena for the first time earlier that day, with the amphitheater crowded and a cheerful public, eager to see a good fight, he had had the feeling it would be a very good day.

And now there he stood, back in the middle of the arena, facing his opponent, a man called Astegal he had met earlier that day, and hadn’t talked to yet, he found himself smiling. He was ready to show the people of Rome how good of a fighter he was, so they would both admire and fear him.

He was determined to carry out the mission he had given to himself years ago, and the final show started now. 

“Have a good fight.”

He took his sword in the hand that already held the shield, and extended his free one out for his opponent to shake, but he was met with a puzzled reaction from both Astegal and the crowd. His hand hung in the air, and after a few second he awkwardly fluttered his fingers and placed his hand back to his side. “Alright, show me what you can do,” he spread his arms out to invite the guy to attack first.

And he did.

He launched himself at Magnus with his sword forward and tried to deliver the first blow but Magnus dodged it with his and used his shield to counter-attack and strike his opponent, the force of the hit making Astegal stagger backwards, disoriented.    
  
He was obviously well-trained, although a little too aggressive and he lacked a strategic plan of attack. He was relying on his physical domination to win. But that wouldn’t work with Magnus.

He knew this wasn’t a fight to death, but he was determined to show his skills to the crowd. If he found a wealthy, good-hearted sponsor - although he doubt that ‘good-hearted’ was a relevant description of the Romans - he could make it out of the arena alive, and fast.

Astegal came back to him with a brutal, horizontal blow as he stood tall, his feet digging into the searing sand, but once again, all Magnus had to do was duck and he was able to avoid it without difficulty. He took advantage of the situation, hitting with force the uncovered ribs of his opponent with the handle of his sword.

Astegal hissed in pain and took a step back and Magnus put some distance between them with gracious swirls, his feet making contact with the ground with vivacity and steadiness. He pointed his sword back toward the other gladiator and bend his legs, finding the best position to be both steady and mobile. “Where you from, comrade? That’s an uncanny fighting style you’ve got there,” Magnus shouted, his voice the only sound in the arena, safe for the clinging of Astegal’s armor and he propelled himself toward Magnus.

He seemed angry. He probably thought Magnus wasn’t taking the fight seriously if hé found the time to make small talk.

_ Well, that was true. _

Magnus was confident in his skills, that was for sure. And he made sure everyone watching him at the moment knew it as well. Magnus stopped the blade aiming for his chest with a swift movement of his wrist, his own blade dancing around its sister. He let go of his shield, crashing onto the floor in a muffled thump, and Magnus used his now free left hand to catch the handle of Astegal’s sword and jerk it out of his large, callous hand. 

After that, he raised a feet and used it to push into the other man’s sternum, balancing his weight by jabbing both blades into the ground, his hands holding firmly the handles of both weapons. The other gladiator fell backwards, falling onto the ground as Magnus released the swords and rose to his feet after a backwards somersault.

He grabbed both weapons and approached the other man, who was pushing himself up. “I’d say you’re the Carthaginian, given your skin color, physical strength and incapacity to speak latin,” he explained and the other man only balled his hands into fists, causing Magnus to raise both his eyebrows, visibly impressed.

“Haven’t had enough? Well, my friend, I’d be more than happy to -”

The end of the fight came with the deafening sound of the horn. Magnus grimaced and turned around to see the owner of the Ludus gladiatorius - Hodge - approach. When the blonde man was close enough, Magnus couldn’t help himself and scrunched his nose. “Could you tell the poor guy blowing this thing, and not something more enjoyable I’m afraid, to stop?” 

Hodge chuckled and patted Astegal on the shoulder, talking in a language foreign to Magnus with the Carthaginian. Astegal eventually took his sword back from Magnus’ hands and started to leave but, although Magnus was sure he had been angry during the fight, eventually turned around and offered his hand to shake, smiling at Magnus.

Magnus was taken aback for a second, and then shook the man’s hand, returning his smile. “I don’t know how to thank him for the fight,” Magnus confessed to Hodge, who simply chuckled and spoke for him. Magnus made a mental note to learn basic Carthaginian. 

“Time to go, your sponsors will be waiting for you,” Hodge invited them to exit the pit. “You made quite an impression,” he told him and Magnus nodded, grinning.

Magnus walked toward the gate and turned around just in time to see a tall man with messy black hair rushing out of the amphitheater, and he couldn’t help but smile, although he had no idea why.

.

“Alec! You have to go now!” Isabelle pushed hard at his ribs to make him stand up. “At least fifteen men have already gone to claim themselves as his sponsor! Go!” she urged him and he was suddenly pulled out of his trance, shaking his head rapidly.

He didn’t even thank her - although he’d definitely have to do it later -  and ran as fast as he could with his long toga towards the stairs leading to the outside of the amphitheatre and to the gladiators’ quarters. 

He had been so mesmerized by the entrancing way of moving and fighting of the gladiator that he had forgotten he was supposed to leave earlier to have a chance to be his sponsor. Now it was probably too late but he’d be damned if he didn’t try.

_ The man was just too good. He couldn’t let anyone else have him. _

He rushed down the stairs and turned left, remembering the times he had come along with his father when Robert had been the one choosing a champion of the arena. He ran through the high-ceiling, open corridors until he reached the place he was looking for.

He heard Hodge’s voice from the inside of the room. “Alright, gentlemen. Who wants to be this exceptional warrior’s sponsor?”

“Me!” Alec exclaimed, panting, as he pushed the already half-open door open with a loud bang. 

“Alec?” Hodge was surprised, and so were the other men, judging by their reactions. Alec knew them all from afar. They were either Senators or at least patricians. It was then that he was met with a pair of beautiful brown eyes, staring straight at him from the other side of the room. 

It was  _ him _ .

Alec’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he took him in. He had already discarded his plastron and had tossed his helmet and weapons to the side, now reaching for his arm cover, and he had stopped mid-motion, his eyes stuck on Alec.

Alec’s eyes maybe lingered a little too long on his sweaty, dirty, muscular chest, and he definitely caught sight of the man eyeing him up and down, before he heard someone - Hodge - clear his throat, and his eyes reluctantly found his way toward the man. He felt himself blush but he was glad he already had red cheeks from running like his life depended on it.

“So, Alec,” he said, “you want to be Magnus’ official sponsor.” 

Alec’s hazel orbs found the gladiator’s - Magnus, he reckoned - intoxicating ones and felt himself nodding, enraptured in the man’s aura. 

There was a wave of protests among the patricians, saying that they were there first, but it was cut short when Magnus spoke up.

“I’d love that,” he simply stated, his eyes boring into Alec’s, glistening with curiosity and something else Alec couldn’t quite decipher. He eventually broke eye-contact - too soon to Alec’s taste - and turned to Hodge and the others. “Now if you’ll excuse us, gentlemen, I think my sponsor and I have to talk and settle a fair deal.”

Alec nodded, but anxiety was already clutching at his insides, and he felt himself fumble with the edge of his toga. The patricians grumbled their dissatisfaction for letting someone like Magnus be sponsored by someone else, someone younger, but eventually left the room, leaving Magnus, Hodge and Alec alone in the room.

Silence stretched between the three of them for a minute, and Alec only noticed he was still tugging at his toga, his eyes lost into space and purposely avoiding Magnus’ gaze when Hodge started talking.

“Okay, let’s do this properly,” he announced, heading toward the back corner of the room, and took out a parchment from the shelf. “This,” he pointed at the sheet, “will be your contract. You both have to sign this, and the partnership - as Alec being Magnus’ official sponsor in the fighting pits - will be effective. It’s a commitment neither of you can walk out of once your names are written on here.” 

Alec only nodded, understanding the importance of the parchment.

“Sounds like a marriage contract. I like the sound of that.” Magnus smiled devilishly, and winked at Alec whose sole reaction was to let his mouth open on its own accord at the comment. 

“I- It’s- It’s nothing like tha-,” he stammered, the words stumbling on his tongue in an incoherent mess, but Magnus cut him off - to his surprise, because Alec was a patrician - with a wave of his slender fingers.

“Oh, I know, Pretty Boy.” The last two words rolled on his tongue like a purr, and Alec gulped hard.

“Magnus,” Hodge intervened, and Alec thanked him innerly, “stop bothering your new sponsor. The contract hasn’t been signed yet and Alec is too good for you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, here are the terms of the contracts the both of you must agree to. Alec, you must rent Magnus’ mind and body, paying -” he shot a death glare at Magnus, who was about to make a comment but eventually resigned and smirked instead, holding back a laugh as he bit his bottom lip, “paying 200 Deniers each and every month the year. Moreover, you are to buy Magnus his food and apparel. Adding to which every extra spending you’ll think necessary for Magnus’ performance to be optimal in the arena.”

“Alright. I agree.” 

“Magnus,” Hodge turned toward him, “you are to pledge your sword and life to Alec. He rents you for as long as you are able to fight. You are not his slave, but you owe him respect. In other words, watch your manners,” Magnus scoffed at the accusing look Hodge gave him. 

“I’m good with these terms. But he could definitely have my body for free if he wan-” 

“Can we just… get on with it?” Alec closed his eyes as he blurted the sentence out, blood rushing to his face as he interrupted Magnus, who abruptly turned to face him, his never-fading, mischievous smile dangerously lighting up his whole face. 

“Of course!” Magnus exclaimed with a flourish. “You’re a patrician,” he examined Alec from head to toes, looking at him with what seemed to be appreciation, and Alec bit his lip, “you must be quite busy.”

He was smirking now, and something told Alec it wouldn’t be the last smirk he’d see cross Magnus’ features.

“I’m actually not that b-” he trailed off, suddenly remembering he didn’t have to expose his schedule to anyone. He accepted the quill pen Hodge was handing out to him and started writing his full name “Alexander Lux Lignum” with dexterity, neat and free of any form of ornamentation, which seemed to be the absolute opposite of Magnus’ flowery handwriting, Alec noticed, as the man bent over the table to write his own name on the contract.

“There, all done,” he said as he handed the quill back to Hodge, turning to face Alec.

“Magnus, you should go back to the Ludus. You have to rest and eat,” the blonde man advised. “I have to go fetch the ones still fighting. Off you go.” He said as he walked out of the room. When he was on the threshold, he lifted a hand as he turned toward them, “Alec, you have to know that the first 200 deniers must be paid within a week, so you should come to the Ludus as soon as possible,” he said with a smile and Alec nodded. And with that, he was out of the room, leaving Alec completely alone with Magnus.

Alec’s eyes immediately found Magnus’ as soon as Hodge was out of sight. He took a deep breath. Everything was going fine. Alec had done what his parents wanted him to do in order to show that he was a future senator invested both in the cities’ life and in the games. 

“So,” Magnus was the first to speak, of course, “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Magnus.” He approached Alec slowly but with determination, his shoulders balancing from back to front as he stopped a few feet away from Alec. It was ridiculous, Alec pondered, as their names had been mentioned earlier, but he couldn’t help himself and stuttered his name at Magnus’ silent inquiry.

“Alec,” he breathed out with a croaky smile, cursing himself innerly for acting like that, but the smile Magnus sent his way in return was enough to widen his own.

“Alexander Lux Lignum. Yes. Pretty name, for a handsome man,” he winked. “Did your parents choose that name for you to honor Alexander the Great?” His question seemed genuine and Alec was a bit taken aback.

“You… you know Alexander the Great’s story?”

“Well, yes?” Magnus huffed with a chuckle,”I’m not a complete ignorant, Patrician.” He stressed the title, even though it was not meant to offend Alec, gauging by the teasing glint shining in his eyes. “I may not have known him on an intimate level - which, between you and I, is a shame because I’ve heard many things about his abilities in bed,” he looked at Alec, his stare heavy with curiosity and expectation, but Alec tried his best to remain unaffected by the way he was being looked at. 

So Magnus just lifted a quick eyebrow and went on,”but I know that Alexander the Great was a legendary king, first to travel very far to the East of your known world. He was a great warrior, a brilliant strategist and an extraordinary lover, writers report. So tell me, Alexander, are you anything like him?” he inquired and Alec felt himself blush. 

He ducked his head in a quick motion, hoping Magnus wouldn’t have noticed the darkening red creeping on his cheeks, but it was clearly a lost cause. “You - Hodge said you had to go back to the Ludus.”

“Of course, darling,” Magnus said with a gentle nod, and surprisingly enough, no extra flourish in neither his voice nor his gestures. Only seriousness. “I haven’t thanked you properly for choosing to sponsor me. It’s an honor to be your champion.” 

Bewildered, Alec took in Magnus’ sudden change of attitude but didn’t make any comment about it, merely frowned as he noticed Magnus’ gaze did hold the same warmth as earlier in their depth. “Of course… Thanks, I guess, for accepting,“ was all he was able to reply.

And with that, Magnus quickly nodded and bowed, then walked toward the open door, exiting the room, not before looking back for a brief instant.   
  
Alec’s heart leaped in his chest as he did.

.

When Magnus came back at the Ludus, most gladiators were already sitting at the tables. The dinner wouldn’t be served anytime soon, but the dinner room was the only room big enough for all the gladiators to sit at the same time and do nothing but chat and have a good time.

Magnus had only arrived and become a gladiator a couple of days ago, but he had been acutely observant of his new surroundings. His fellow gladiators, their way of talking, walking and fighting, as well of their impeccable sense of discipline. He had quickly realised gladiators didn’t get much time with one another, because of all the training and fighting that gave rhythm to their days. 

He was slowly starting to get used to it. He had always been a busy person, ever since he was a child. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at the thought of his childhood. Painful memories he wanted to forget but couldn’t.

_ Not yet. _

He swallowed and entered the room, before taking a seat at one of the benches, leaning his elbows on the table. His right hand was resting under his chin as he took in the people in the room. He had only talked to two people yet, Ragnor and Raphael, who he was now happy to call his friends, because they had traveled across the Roman provinces together until their arrival at the Ludus Gladiatorius in Rome.

They were kind of a weird duo. They had been traveling together as soon-to-be gladiators for some weeks before they met Magnus. 

Ragnor was a few years older than Magnus, with whitening hair on the sides of his face and a thick Britannian accent. He was also a Historian, linguist and traveler. He had been the one who taught some of their travel comrades basic Latin - Magnus would have to remember to ask him how to learn Carthaginian.

He was also of a calm, thoughtful nature that balanced Magnus’ eccentric one quite well, Magnus had to admit. He had been arrested for apparently profaning a Greek temple during his travels as he studied the architecture of the edifice and was chained up immediately to be transferred to Rome. 

Raphael was something else. He was a man of few words, and his grumpy resting face was the first thing Magnus noticed about him. He had a thick accent too, but never mentioned where he was from. He seemed to never be happy - except when Ragnor was the one talking to him - but Magnus knew that Raphael actually liked him, because he was allowed to talk to him. He had left behind his mother and his numerous younger brothers after being arrested for stealing a loaf of bread in order to feed them. It was either this fate, becoming a gladiator, surviving and earning deniers, or have his two hands cut, and not being able to work in the fields anymore.    
  
_ He had made his choice without an ounce of hesitation. _

Yet, apart from this uncanny couple of guys and maybe Hodge, he had met no one worthy of his attention in the Roman capital.

_ Except maybe that patrician boy. _

He felt himself grinning at the thought of the handsome young, well-mannered man with a crooked smile and messy ink-black hair who was now his official sponsor in the arena. 

He sighed in relief, because he had found a sponsor - not that he didn’t think he’d found one, because he had heard about the sponsoring system in Rome and knew he could rely on his skills to get one quickly, but still, there had been a small, almost inaudible voice in his head that had been whispering to him all along that maybe he wasn’t worth it.

_ That he had never been. _

_ That he never would be. _

And that weak voice had been enough for his insecurities to strike back with an unbelievable strength, to remind Magnus that he had never been worthy of the good things he had had in his life, because nothing ever lasted. He always ended up alone.

He had tried countless times to shut down that upsetting feeling of never been good enough - especially during his fight against Astegal, during which he had surprisingly managed to actually silence the voice.

Yet, until Alec had rushed into that room at the back of the Coliseum to yell that he was willing to take Magnus as his champion, the insecurities had always crashed back into his mind.

_ It was Alexander who had managed to break it in one verbal blow. _

And for that, Magnus was grateful. So far, his course of action was going well, and he hoped it would last. He had to succeed.

“So,” a deep voice with a familiar, heavy accent spoke behind Magnus, pushing him back to reality, and Magnus turned around to face him, “how was your first fight in the arena today?” Ragnor inquired, as he brought a glass to his mouth, taking a sip of the liquid inside and then sniffing the scent of it.

Raphael was behind him a second later, holding two glasses and handing out one to Magnus as both his companions took a seat at the table.

“It was quite the show,” Magnus smiled at Ragnor’s chuckle and challenging gaze, one eyebrow arched up, “I fought against Astegal. He is new too, and quite the fighter. But not as good as me, obviously,” now his smirk was so wide he barely resisted the urge to laugh at his own bragging, “and I found a sponsor.”

“Good for you,” Ragnor replied, “what’s his name?” 

“Alexander Lux Lignum,” Magnus recalled out loud from Alec’s marking at the end of their contract. He took a large gulp of the liquid ashes, and was surprised to find Ragnor and Raphael gaping at him when he looked up, until Raphael recovered, his facial expression back to his usual neutral one, and muttered something that definitely sounded like ‘asshole’. “What?”

“Told you he was an lucky asshole,” Raphael’s voice was nothing near angry and he even had a small smirk tugging up his lips as he acted like Magnus wasn’t sitting at the very same table. 

“What’s so special about Alec?” Magnus said with a frown.

“It’s not about Alec himself, more about his family.” Ragnor retorted, and Magnus noticed the bitterness in his voice. “The Lux Lignum family is a very old family of patricians from Rome and they go by the rules. They don’t usually give attention to the gladiators, or so I was told when I asked around the barracks about the patrician families of Rome.”

“What he means is ‘when he asked Lady Catarina, the marvelous physician’,” Raphael snickered, but the bitterness in his voice was easily distinguishable, and Ragnor elbowed him in the ribs gently.

Magnus laughed. “Look at you, Raph’, being all jealous.” There was a glint in his eyes as he teased his friend, “that’s almost cute, I gotta say.”

“Shut up,” was all Raphael growled before Ragnor laced their fingers together, caressing the back of Raphael’s hand with his thumb and throwing him a reassuring smile and look. The tension seemed to leave the younger man’s shoulders instantaneously.

“Cute,” Magnus repeated, and was met with two annoyed stares that only made it harder for him not to burst into laughter. 

“As I was saying,” Ragnor spoke again, his fingers still intertwined with Raphael’s, “I was told that the Lux Lignum family doesn’t usually care about entertainment and games, so it’s odd that your sponsor is a member of this family.” There was a hint of wariness in his gaze as he finished his speech.

Magnus merely shrugged in answer. “Well maybe I was too handsome for him to resist.” And with that, his trademark smirk was back on his face.

.

“So,” Jace said as he walked out of the bath, droplets of water streaming down his entirely naked body. His skin was slightly reddened by the hot water and Alec guessed his own skin wasn’t much better, “you are now sponsoring a gladiator.”

Alec followed him and stepped onto the tiled floor of the tepidarium. They had chosen the warm bath today because it was the best way to ease the tension off their bodies and relax for a few hours. 

They had talked mostly about Alec’s studies and Jace’s upcoming leave for Gallic, where the Romans intended to push further the limits of their territory. Alec should have seen it coming. He remembered how impressed his brother had been by Magnus at the arena the day before. Especially because the man was so ripped yet so agile and quick. His blows were very calculated and precise, leaving no room for mistakes.

He was a deadly fighter if needed be.

“I am,” Alec shrugged as they headed back to the apodyterium, where they had left their clothes. 

“What’s his name?” Jace was playing it casual, but Alec knew what he was trying to do.

“Magnus,” he answered nonetheless, because there was no point in not telling his brother.

Jace hummed under his breath. “And do you know where he’s from? He has a very unusual way of fighting.” 

“I don’t know,” Alec admitted, “but you can come with me at the Ludus today.” He knew that this was the sentence Jace wanted to hear from the beginning because he was dying to learn some things about Magnus’ fighting tactics, so he had decided not to make him wait any longer. “I have to go there to pay for his first meals and provide him with anything he’d like. To, you know, be sure he doesn’t regret his decision of accepting me as his sponsor.” 

“Right,” Jace tried to hide his mirth as he put his military attire back on, but Alec caught sight of it and frowned. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Nothing,” he waved it off with an easy grin and went to tap on the shoulder of a now dressed-up Alec, “I’d love to come to the Ludus to meet him.” He was smiling widely and Alec couldn’t help but let a grin curl up his lips. “Are you heading to the Library?”

“Yes, why?” 

“Sounds like you’re stuck with me for the rest of the day, then, brother.”    
  
.   
  
The first thing Alec and Jace heard when they opened the door of the Library was Clary’s familiar joyful voice and then a much deeper one, who without a doubt belonged to Luke, Clary’s stepfather and a senator of Rome. They had their backs turned to them and were chatting with Simon, who was leaning against one of the bookshelves.

“Hey,” Jace greeted his girlfriend as he circled his arms around her from behind, resting his face on her shoulder and she tensed for a second before realising who it was, turning around in his strong arms, a giant smile plastered all over her face.

Meanwhile, Alec silently shook Simon and Luke’s hand.

“Hey,” she mirrored and pulled gently at the material of his toga to bring him closer, leaning in to kiss him chastely on the lips. 

“What are you doing here?” the blonde man asked, brushing his nose against hers and then pulling back to greet both Simon and Luke.

“I was just done with Victor Aldertree’s fresco and I was heading home but as I spent by the Library I thought I could lend Simon a hand to reorganize the parchments. And it happens that Luke was already there doing research in the back of the building,” she explained with a shrug, the smile never leaving her face.

“How is Aldertree?” There was an obvious annoyment filling his voice as he talked about the guy.

“Still a jerk with an impeccable sense of fashion,” Simon intervened as he arranged the disposition of some parchments, making all of them laugh. 

Jace and Alec were also adamant in saying they didn’t like Simon, but at the end of the day, he was a brother to Clary and Isabelle’s secret boyfriend, which meant he was slowly becoming family.

Luke shook his head in mere amusement and both Clary and Jace chuckled. “So, Alec,” Luke began, “how are you doing?” He inquired, inviting Alec to walk away from the others to give him some space. From the other side of the room he could now hear Clary’s bright laughter and Jace’s deeper one, so Alec figured Simon had probably told them a joke. 

Alec ran a nervous hand at the back of his neck, then toyed with his hair. “I’m okay. Studies are going well.” He had purposefully said nothing about his parents pressuring him, although he had no doubt Luke knew. Yet, despite the hint of worry in his eyes, Luke was nice enough not to push him out of his comfort zone, so he just nodded. “ And how are politics going?” he asked out of genuine interest.

“At the moment, our main problem is to deal with the aftermath of Valentine’s coup. He has recently lost one of his last supports in the far East of the Roman territory, so he will no longer get financial protection from there. He can either enrol him as a gladiator or accept his death sentence. Senators are now divided between executing him in a public setting with no trial beforehand or respect his choice. The risk is that he could walk away as a free man again in the future. But if he demands to join the Ludus, we’ll have no say in it. He will then be under the Gods’ judgment,” he carefully explained the sensitive subject that was agitating the gossips around the city.

“When will he have to choose?” 

“Tomorrow,” Luke said with a sigh. 

“And what do you think about it?” Alec knew of Luke and Valentine’s history. They were best friends, growing up. They were like brothers. And Luke admired his friend. He was a leader with brilliant ideas and a great warrior. Then Jocelyn came along and their little trio seemed invincible. Both Luke and Valentine became well-known and respected Senators, never hesitating to voice their opinions, even when they were two against all the others.

_ Until it became only Valentine against all the others. _

His mind had started to go astray a few years after they entered the Senate. His blood-thirst and desire to expand the Roman territory led him to have some heated political arguments with both Luke and the Senate. He had no care whatsoever for the military. They were just a means to an end. Most could die slaughtering villages in the North of Gallic because as long as they won, it was worth it. 

Valentine even offered to establish new means of torture for war prisoners and disobedient slaves but all his ideas were blocked by the majority of the Senate. So he started to use the family wealth and bribe Senators or high rank militaries, so they would join him in his quest for power and blood.

He made himself a name, and most of the time it came hand in hand with terms like ‘fear’, ‘terror’, ‘madness’. Because he was indeed a mad man. Luke had once told him Jocelyn and him had started having an affair when Jocelyn couldn’t bear anymore her husband’s wicked laughter, so she had gotten a divorce. 

When she left him, she was pregnant with Clary but she had made sure all those years that Valentine didn’t know he had a child. Until his recent coup. She married Luke a few years later, breaking whatever bond remained between the two men - a faint nostalgia, spiced up with a hint of guilt from Luke’s side and clearly nothing from Valentine’s.

Luke sighed. “I have no say in who should live and who should to die. I let the Gods do that. I’ll respect Valentine’s choice. I can only hope for the others to do the same.”

.

“Alec,” Isabelle’s voice greeted him when he got home that day, “there’s something I need to tell you!”

She looked so excited when she settled at the edge of his bed, where he was already lying down, parchments scattered across his body and the floor, that Alec eyes shot up, only to be met with big brown eyes full of happiness and pride. He rested himself on his elbows.

“What is it Izzy?” he said and he felt himself grin with how overjoyed his sister looked.

“I got a job!” She tackle-hugged him, making him crash back on the bed, sending sheets of paper flying across the room, “as a physician!”

He was stunned for a moment, but when he registered the information he felt extremely proud and happy. “That’s awesome, Iz! Where are you going to work?”

“That’s the most exciting part!” Her face was all lit up now. “I’ll be working for Hodge and the gladiators!” 

“Hey, that’s great, Iz,” Alec said, his voice gentle and giving away his admiration for his sister’s incredible skills and brain. “You’re gonna do a great job, I know it.” 

“Thanks, big bro,” she hugged him once again and he kept her close, as she whispered “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he muttered back, smiling.

They remained like that for a few seconds, Alec processing everything that had happened to him and his family that day. He not only became a gladiator’s official sponsor, but his sister also had gotten her very first job and she’d be working to patch up injured warriors of the fighting pits.

Suddenly, she pulled back, and realized she was about to tease him about something.

“Speaking of gladiators… how is Mister Handsome?” She had a wicked, knowing grin plastered on her face.

He scoffed at the nickname she had come up with for Magnus, not that she could blame her. The man was indeed handsome. 

“He is...nice.”

Of all the adjectives he could have come up with to describe Magnus, of course he had to say the worst one. Despite his lack of eloquence, Isabelle was already beaming. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow that only managed to make her smile grow wider. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she eluded just like Jace had done a few hours earlier when they exited the therms, and he narrowed his eyes at her, making her chuckle.”It’s nothing, big brother. I’m just curious to see how things will unfold.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Now he was frowning.

She tapped lightly on his shoulder in a reassuring manner, her eyes glistening with love for her brother. 

“We’ll talk about this another day, now she should both go to sleep”, she said with a gentle smile and his yawn was enough of an answer for the both of them. She kissed his cheek and got up.

“I’m going to the Ludus with Jace tomorrow,” Alec told her when she was about to leave. “Are you coming with us?”

He settled down in his bed, pushing the remaining parchments aside.

“Of course,” she nodded. “Good night, big bro.”

“Good night.”

.

Magnus woke up the next morning, feeling well rested. He jumped out of bed and began stretching like a cat, as he did every morning. He didn’t have any fight today, wouldn’t for a couple of days, which gave him all the time he needed to work on perfecting some of his fighting moves.

He had a small room of his own, hardly bigger than the size of his bed, but it still felt like he had a small home. It was private, with a wooden door and a tiny window which allowed both the light and a little breeze to fill in the space.

The only things he was missing at the moment were some makeup and books. 

When he opened his door he was met with Hodge, who had apparently been about to knock. 

“There are people waiting for you in the patio,” the blonde man simply said.

Magnus’ eyebrow shot up on its own.  _ People? As in, plural? _

He closed his door behind him and, after thanking Hodge, who was already heading toward the backyard where the training took place, he made his way toward his destination.

When he arrived, four people were standing in the middle of the rectangle formed by the columns. There were two women chatting and he recognized Catarina among the two of them. The other one was a woman with long ink-black hair that cascaded down her bare shoulders, hiding the upper hem of her expensive silken red dress to anyone’s sight, and Magnus heard the clicking of her golden bracelets as she nodded to something Catarina had just told her. 

His eyes then landed on a blond man Magnus hadn’t seen before, who looked cocky yet nice. He was wearing an armor and a feather-adorned helmet which led Magnus to believe he was a high-rank soldier of the Roman army. 

When Magnus’ eyes locked with the last individual’s hazel ones, however, his breath caught in his throat. 

_ Alexander. _

He felt himself smile so wide his cheek muscles almost hurt. He approached his sponsor with two fast, elegant strides. “Hello, Alexander.”

“Magnus,” the patrician breathed out and Magnus’ grin turned into a smirk. “H-hi.”

_ Cute, _ Magnus thought to himself.

Next to Alec, he saw the blond man roll his eyes, a fond smile on his lips. “I’m Jace, Alec’s brother.” Although they looked nothing alike, Magnus could tell they were indeed brothers by anything but blood. “I saw you fight in the arena yesterday. You were pretty good. I mean, not as good as me obviously, but, you know, it was alright.” 

Magnus chuckled. “Oh darling, you haven’t even seen a tenth of my abilities.” He let his eyes leave Jace’s and wander on Alec, “I can show you much more, if you want.” He clearly wasn’t talking to Jace anymore, licking his bottom lip as his eyes raked over Alec’s - frustratingly  - clothed body.

The taller man shifted on his feet and Magnus could see the blush threatening to make his cheeks combust.

Next to Alec, Jace snorted ”And we’re obviously still talking about your fighting skills.” He was teasing, although Magnus didn’t know if he was teasing him or his brother.

Magnus shrugged. “Interpretation is up to you.” Now he was looking straight into Alec’s eyes, who managed to hold his gaze without blushing too much.” But you haven’t told the reason of your visit? Were you dying to see me again?”

Alec closed his eyes and frowned. “It’s not like that.” His eyes bored into Magnus’ but there was nothing but kindness in them. “I came to pay Hodge and I wanted to know if there was anything I could buy for you. To, you know, entertain yourself.”

“And I wanted to meet my brother’s champion,” Jace confessed with a cocky, challenging grin. “See for myself if he was deserving of my brother’s attention.” The ambiguity in both Jace’s and Alec’s words made Magnus chuckle quietly. 

“That’s very nice of you, Alexander, thank you for asking,” he said, taking a step closer, not enough to walk into Alec’s personal space, but close enough to see the flickers of green and gold drowning in a pool of light brown in the man’s entrancing big eyes. “Well… I’ve been running low on makeup ever since I embarked on this adventure and left my homeland, and I’ve been dying to use some.”

Magnus caught sight of Jace quietly retreating and going to talk with the women, leaving Magnus and Alec talk about their arrangement.

Alec nodded, “I’ll ask Izzy,” he gestured to the brunette talking with Catarina. “She’s my sister and she’ll definitely know which makeup to choose. I know nothing about makeup,” he confessed with a lopsided smile that made Magnus’ heart skip a beat. He watched as Alec’s chewed on his already abused bottom lip. “Is there anything else you need? Tell me, and I’ll provide.”

Well, Magnus had certainly not been expecting a sponsor so eager to make sure he had everything he needed to feel good. Magnus had never been one to make generalities, but he had such bad memories concerning Patricians and Roman people in general - especially after what Ragnor had told him about Alec’s family the day before - that it stunned him to see Alec standing in front of him with nothing but genuine generosity in his eyes, offering to provide him with everything he asked for.

“A few books would be amazing,” Magnus eventually replied, and Alec’s face lit up.

“What kind of books? Historical ones?” He probably remembered their conversation from the day before about Alexander the Great, and had figured out Magnus liked anything related to  History.

“That would be great.” A huge smile settled on his face - he was already grinning of course, but this one was literally connecting his two ears with how wide it was.”Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Alec said and used his right hand to stroke his left, covered biceps in a nervous manner, “Look, I’m new to this, I’ve never sponsored anyone before and I just- I don’t want you to feel like I own you. On the paper, it may be like that, but… I want us to be friends.” He had said the last sentence so quickly Magnus was not sure he had heard correctly. And judging by his sister - who had suddenly stopped talking - and Jace’s facial expressions, it was a huge thing for Alec to say.

Alec rubbed at his eyes with his fingers. “I mean… if that’s okay with you.” He seemed so uncertain, Magnus wanted nothing but to wash the worry off his beautiful face.

“I’d love that,” was all he needed to say to make Alec’s mouth curl up once again with a huge goofy grin. 

“Great,” he breathed out in a relieved sigh, straightening up a bit, “I’ll bring you makeup and books quickly.” They remained quiet for a few second, and Magnus felt himself drown in a sea of hazel, until someone cleared their throat next to him.

“Sorry to interrupt, I’m Isabelle,” the black-haired woman said, looking at him with gentle big brown eyes. “Alec’s sister and second physician of the Ludus.” Magnus was impressed. She had the looks and the brains. Seemed like good genes were running in this family. He grinned at her and kissed her hand. She seemed surprised for a second, before turning toward her brothers, “I knew I’d like him.”

Magnus chuckled and she winked at him, turning his smile into laughter, “You’re not too bad yourself, darling. Beautiful dress.” 

“Thank you,” she replied, her laughing eyes locked with his. “So, I heard you mentioning makeup. My brother knows nothing about it.” She rolled her eyes, but Magnus could discern the fondness in her gaze as she then laughed at her brother’s frown. “Which means I’ll help him find you the best kohl of Rome. No worries, my dear. Everything is in good hands.” 

“My fate seems in good hands.” He looked at her for a second before his gaze drifted up to lock with Alec’s eyes.

_ His fate seemed in good hands indeed. _

.

Later that day, hours after Alexander and his family had left the Ludus, Magnus had just finished his training for the day. He was chatting with Ragnor - Raphael was only listening to them - about fight techniques as they made their way to the building armory, Magnus still swinging the wooden spear in his hand in smooth, calculated gestures.   
  
They put their weapons back in place and Magnus started stretching his arms, feeling the tension gradually leaving his sore limbs. A hot bath would do wonder to him, but unfortunately, the only bath at the Ludus belonged to Hodge, and although the guy was nice, there was no way he’d allowed his men to use it.   
  
He growled when his fingers grazed over a particularly strained muscle, applying soothing gestures upon the area. 

That’s when he saw  _ him _ .

The man was just entering the Ludus when Magnus’ breath caught in his throat and he felt all the colors leave his face as his eyes widened in shock. His hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles turning white, and he was feeling nothing but pure, genuine hatred.

“Magnus, are you okay?” He faintly heard Ragnor say by his side. He couldn’t look away from the monster who had ruined his life so many years ago, but he could feel Ragnor’s gaze shifting, leaving him to lock on the bald man. “Do you know this guy?”

Magnus’ whole body was trembling with rage and he couldn’t control his shaking, taking sharp intakes of breath. He felt his muscles tense all at once. He couldn’t look away. Everything around him was a blur.   
  
The only thing he could think of was how much he wanted to go back to the armory and grab any weapon, only to bury it violently into the chest of the man walking behind the range of columns. 

“Hey,” Ragnor called him softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder and Magnus startled and flinched, jerking out of his friend’s touch without even thinking about it. Ragnor was about to reach out for him again but Raphael probably stopped him because he eventually took a step back. 

Magnus was still paralyzed, his feet stuck to the ground, and cold shivers ran down his body. He was pretty sure he was sweating, and it wasn’t even from the training he had earlier. He felt an icy drop of water stream down from his hairline to his jawline, and he lifted his fist to wipe it off his face.    
  
He had always wondered how he’d react when he saw this monster again and now he knew. He was boiling with anger and an irrepressible eagerness to kill the man on the spot with his bare hands.

  
Magnus could still feel Ragnor and Raphael’s confused gaze burning holes into his skull from the side.

  
He had spent years trying to come out with a solid plan to take down him and now he was finally within his reach. He watched carefully as Hodge guided the man through the main room of the Ludus.    
  
Magnus had come to Rome with a mission, and everything was falling into place with ease. Magnus would have to stay cautious.   
  
But he eventually grinned, and he probably looked like a lunatic.   
  
_ Valentine _ , the fallen senator, was now a gladiator and everything felt too good to be true.

.

The first weeks of Magnus’ new life as a gladiator went by at a surprising speed. Alec had dropped by to give him his makeup - he had even thought about bringing a small ornamented mirror, and Magnus still couldn’t believe how cute a guy that tall could look as he coyly handed it to him, a small smile on his lips - and some books the day after and had spent an entire hour at the Ludus in order to visit. 

 

Now Magnus had somewhat fallen into a routine. He usually woke up with the sun and took his time to put his make up on, darkening his eyelids with precise lines of kohl. When he was satisfied with the result, he went for a run around the Ludus and was often joined by other gladiators.   
  
Ragnor and Raphael had not pushed him into talking about what had happened the day Valentine arrived. Speaking of the devil, Magnus had barely seen him and did everything he could to avoid him, whether it was during training hours or during dinner. 

 

Apart from that, his days and schedule mostly revolved around his training hours. He hadn’t forgotten about asking Ragnor some basic Carthaginian though and he was glad to be able to greet Astegal every morning, earning an easy smile from the man.   
  
He hadn’t been to the arena much to fight, only once and he had most definitely been happy to notice that Alec had watched him fight and even visited him at the Ludus after that, congratulating him for winning the fight hands down. 

 

Magnus smiled as he laid in his bed, watching as the first rays of sunshine started illuminating his small room and thinking about how soft and genuine Alec’s voice sounded when he had asked him to be his friend.   
  
_ Get a grip, Magnus. _   
  


Alec was a patrician man, likely betrothed to a Roman lady - or soon to be - and even if the guy blushed every time Magnus threw an innuendo at him, he knew he was out of reach. The man had offered him to be friends and it was more than Magnus could have ever hoped for from a sponsor. 

 

He got into a sitting position, crossing his legs on the bed and grabbing the parchments Alec had gotten him for reading. He had already read them at least once, and made sure to ask Alec for more when he returned them to him.

 

He sighed. He was pathetic. 

 

Yet, he couldn’t resist and make awful innuendos for he loved Alec’s shy smile and deep blush.   
  
He had actually had fight in the arena today but he still had a few hours to prepare. He grabbed his makeup tools and the mirror, before initiating his morning ritual. He was going to win yet another fight and he was going to look extraordinary as he did so.   
  
.   
  


Alec was sat on one of the stone bench in the arena as he watched Magnus perform. The way he moved was entrancing, just like all the other times. He was clearly dominating his opponent, although Alec knew he wouldn’t go too hard on him because this adversary was his friend, Ragnor, whom Alec knew not to be an excellent fighter.   
  
He was a pretty decent one, and he was making fast progress thanks to Magnus and Raphael, but he was nowhere near the man’s level. 

 

They exchanged blows, Magnus dodging strikes from time to time with a mesmerizing swiftness, bending down with ease and then jumping back onto his feet, flexible and mobile in a way that reminded Alec of a snake.   
  
_ A deadly, handsome snake. _   
  
He brought his hand to his face, and gritted his teeth, frowning.

 

“Everything okay?” Isabelle asked him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Fine,” he replied, a little too harshly, “just a headache,” he pretended. “Sorry.” He whispered, opening his eyes to find his sister’s big, gentle ones.

 

She smiled tentatively at him. “It’s okay,” she simply assured, leaning her head on his shoulder, not giving a damn about people watching them. She was his sister and he didn’t care if anyone saw them hug. Fuck Roman public decency. He raised his right arm to settle his hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her hand gently.

 

They stayed like that as they watch the two friends fight in the pit below them. “How is work?” he inquired quietly.

 

“It’s been great, all the guys are super nice,” she answered and he could hear the smile in her voice. He was so glad she had managed to find her path and follow it. Now she was happy, and if his little sister was content, so was he. Still, he couldn’t help but grunt at the mention of guys being ‘super nice’ to his sister. She giggled, “not like that, you idiot.” She poked at him and he laughed quietly.

 

“And how is it going with Simon?” he asked with genuine interest. Alec didn’t really like to talk about his siblings’ love life but he knew Isabelle’s situation was complicated, and he saw Simon almost every day as he came to study to the Library.

 

“It’s okay… We’re okay,” she tried to reassure him but her voice had lost her usual flare and joy. “We’ll be okay,” she eventually added and he hugged her a little tighter.

 

“I’m here for you, Iz, always,” he murmured against her hair and she looked up at him, her eyes tender and grateful.

 

“Thank you, big brother.”

 

“I just wish Mom would let you live your life in peace,” he confessed as his eyes unconsciously landed on Magnus’ moving form again. He gulped hard when he felt his sister’s gaze follow his.

 

“I wish she’d do that for you too.” Her voice was quiet and strangled, her big dark eyes now shining with unshed tears. He stared at her, lips slightly parted and feeling out of breath. 

 

“It’s not like that, I -” All these years after confessing his heaviest secret to his sister - who had already figured it out by herself, she had told him - he still felt uneasy talking about it, especially in a public setting.   
  
It wasn’t unusual for men to share a bed in their society, but it was still frowned upon  when one of these men was a patrician. And having been raised by close-minded, conservative parents who only saw their children as ambulant disappointments, Alec could not risk coming out.

 

He took a deep breath and sighed loudly, but did not speak any other word. His sister took the hint and made no comment. Silence stretched between the two of them until the crowd went wild as Magnus was proclaimed victorious.

 

Ragnor was laying on his back in the sand, and Magnus extended his hand out to help him get back to his feet. When they hugged, patting each other on the shoulder, Alec couldn’t restrain his smile.

 

“Let’s go,” he breathed out and cursed himself for sounding so desperate to leave the arena and its loud cheers, threatening to make him deaf. Isabelle nodded before getting up, and he grabbed his linen bag.They made their way toward the exit, walking fast across the curved outer corridors of the Coliseum, heading for the Ludus.

 

When they entered the building, Magnus was talking to Ragnor in the atrium and Isabelle rushed to them. “Isabelle, my dear, nice to see you,” Magnus greeted her with this genuine, big smile of his that reached his eyes, before his eyes found Alec’s, “Alexander.” His voice dropped so low when he pronounced his name, Alec felt something in his gut twist.

 

He grinned, trying to compose himself, “Magnus.”

 

“You were amazing!” Isabelle exclaimed. “Both of you.” She turned to look at Ragnor, who returned her smile. “Now let me check if you have any injuries.” Her voice turned serious and her whole demeanor shifted, the skilled physician taking over.

 

Magnus chuckled. “As much as I love you Isabelle, I’d rather have your dear brother’s hands on me.” He winked at the tall man, who rolled his eyes and bit his bottom lip in a failed attempt to appear unaffected.

 

“I bet you do,” she snorted, a huge smirk replacing her usual smile on her red-painted lips. She looked at her brother, who seemed to have taken interest in the stone ceiling of the room, purposefully avoiding looking at either of them. Magnus and Isabelle exchanged a knowing look.

 

Eventually, it was Ragnor who spoke, “I think we’re alright, Isabelle, thank you.” There was a hint of sheer amusement in his voice and Alec felt betrayed by Magnus’ friend, whom he had thought to be on his side.

 

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat and his eyes landed on Magnus’ deep brown pools, “I’ve brought a few parchments,” he said, gesturing at the bag in his hands with his eyes. “I thought you’d like them.”

 

He chastised himself innerly for sounding so lame. 

 

Magnus’ eyes shone now. “Thank you, Alexander,” he replied as he started walking toward his room. “I’ve actually finished reading the others.” 

 

Ragnor said goodbye to them and Isabelle told them she had to go back to the arena if any of the other fighters of the day got injured. Catarina was already there but Izzy figured that two more helping hands would be welcomed.

 

Which left Alec alone - again - with Magnus, as he blindly followed him to his room. Magnus opened the door and Alec realized he had never seen what Magnus’ space looked like. He peered from the outside, curiosity taking over. “You want to come in? I’m afraid we might get a little cramped but I certainly wouldn’t mind sharing such a small space with you.” 

 

His flirtatious tone almost made Alec snort loudly. “You’re shameless, aren’t you?”

 

Magnus shrugged, smirking but said nothing. If anything, the way he licked his teeth was enough of an answer and Alec felt drawn to him as he watched the slow, intentional gesture. 

 

Magnus went inside, leaving shaken Alec trying to recover on the threshold. “Here they are,” he came back with a pile of parchments in his arms. Alec took them, his fingers brushing against Magnus and he felt a gush of electricity run through his veins. His breath caught in his throat and gauging by Magnus’ hard swallow, he wasn’t the only one who had felt it.

 

“Th-Thanks,” he said when he was able to breathe again. “Here,” he gave Magnus the bag, ”these are about the city of Alexandria. The Egyptian one, of course. I- thought you might like them.”

 

Alec knew Magnus would understand what he meant. Alexandria, the city on the Egyptian coast, where the largest Library of their time stood, had been founded by Alexander the Great. He had chosen these parchments on a whim when he was studying at the Library in the morning because he had been sure Magnus would be eager to read them, but now he wasn’t sure anymore.

 

“I’m sorry, I should just have asked you what you wanted to rea-”

 

“Shhh,” Magnus interrupted him, lifting his hand to keep him from speaking, a small smile tugging at his lips, “I’m sure I’ll love it. Thank you, Alexander.” 

 

“Right. No problem.” He twisted his fingers nervously, feeling bare under Magnus’ intense gaze, and started toying with the hem of his toga.

 

“So, Alexander, you’re a patrician, right?” He waited until Alec nodded to continue, “and what do patricians do of their days, if I may?”

 

“Most of my time I spent studying,” Alec replied, not quite sure if he was meant to have this kind of conversation with the gladiator he was sponsoring. But again, that was Magnus, who was now his friend and the words just seemed to flow out of his mouth, not waiting for his brain to catch up and possibly stop them. “I am to become a Senator soon.”

 

“But you don’t want to?” Magnus asked with a cocked eyebrow, bending his head slightly to the right.

 

Alec’s lips parted in shock. “H- how? Why do you-?”

 

How was this guy able to tell that he wasn’t entirely pleased to become a Senator? Sure it was a challenging position and Alec had always been meant to be a leader and a protector, but him becoming a Senator meant his mother would try to use him as her puppet, and he couldn’t bear the thought of it. 

 

“Your eyes,” Magnus  explained gently, his hand lifting just a bit, as if he had wanted to reach out, as his eyes bored into Alec’s, shining. “Your eyes speak, Alexander,” he simply stated, a sad smile now playing on his lips. 

 

Alec closed his eyes tightly and rubbed a hand on his forehead. When he opened them again, he was met with expressive, gentle eyes. “I have to go. To study,” he breathed out and clenched his jaw. “I’ll see you later.”

 

“Of course. See you later, Alexander.”

 

.

 

“Alright guys, training is over,” Hodge proclaimed as he clapped his hands together, dismissing his men. “Magnus, Valentine, Celtillus,” he called and three heads turned to look at him, “we have to talk.”

 

“What is it about?” Valentine spoke with his usual confidence and disdainful, irritating voice that made Magnus whole body fume with cold anger. 

 

“All three of you are going to fight as bestiarii in three weeks at the Circus Maximus, to honor Sol and Luna. You’ll have to work as a team, and defeat two lionesses,” Magnus and Celtillus nodded, “It’ll require of you good teamwork. This will not be easy, but the Clave is asking for a show and you’re three of my best fighters. I’ve already talked to three other groups. There will be four trios of my men against wilderness. I do not intend to lose any one of you in this fight. Understood?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Magnus and Celtillus both answered and Valentine only went with a satisfied grunt. Magnus wanted to slam his head against the tiled floor. He buried his nails in his palm instead.

 

“Do we need to go through a new kind of training?” Celtillus’ heavy Gallic accent echoed through the room as he spoke.

 

Hodge shook his head. “No, we keep training with the others. The only difference is that you will no longer wear your provocator armor. You’ll change for a more adapted one. I’ll show you.” He gestured with his hand for them to follow him to the back of the Ludus.   
  
Magnus loathed the very idea of fighting alongside Valentine, but he also pondered it would be the perfect occasion to discover his weak points. It could always be relevant and useful for a forthcoming duel.

 

.   
  
Later that day, Magnus was reading in his bed. He had his back pressed against the wall, his eyes stuck onto the pages, the small candle hanging from his wall his only source of light. He was readjusting his position in his bed when he heard a hesitant knock on his door.   
  
Not sure whether he had hallucinated - for he was exhausted - or not, he kept reading, until he was once again interrupted by another banging against the wood of his door. He frowned, wondering who it could be at such an ungodly hour, and stopped dead in his tracks when he took in the person in front of him. “Alexander?” he stuttered, his usual flare gone. “What are you doing here?”

 

That’s when he noticed it, the sadness in Alec’s bright hazel eyes. His whole body seemed to tense at Magnus’ question, before his shoulders slumped, worry and nervosity written all over his face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come…” he whispered, and Magnus didn’t think twice before setting a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

 

He pulled back immediately, afraid he had gone too far by touching Alec as he hadn’t authorized him to, but at least this simple touch had had the anticipated effect. “Come in.” 

 

Alec seemed hesitant, rubbing a hand on his other arm, his brows furrowed. 

 

“If you want to, you can come in,” Magnus tried to reformulate his statement in order to make Alec more at ease. “You can talk to me about whatever is bothering you, if you want. I’ll listen,” He offered, moving out of the way and inviting Alec inside with a gesture of his hand, “and if you don’t want to talk but only need company, that works for me too.”

 

He was trying not to pressure Alec into talking about something he wasn’t ready for, but if he could at least bring some silent comfort, he was willing to do so.

 

Eventually, Alec sighed and nodded, his expressive eyes still shining with anxiety, but it was gradually being replaced with gratefulness as he passed by Magnus. “Thanks,” he merely muttered, stepping inside Magnus’ room.

 

He sat at the edge of the bed, his knees almost hitting the wall across the room as he knotted his hands together, visibly struggling to find his words. Magnus didn’t press him into saying anything, only waited for Alec to muster enough strength to talk, and sat next to him on his bed. 

 

Magnus took some time to eye Alec up and down as discretely as possible. He wasn’t wearing his usual immaculate toga. Instead, he had opted for something more suitable to move around and go for a midnight walk. He was wearing a tunic - dark green if the dim lighting of his room didn’t deceive Magnus’ eyes. 

 

His gaze seemed lost into space, his thoughts miles away from Magnus’ room. A silence stretched between them, and although it was not the most comfortable one, Magnus didn’t mind. If Alec needed time, Magnus would gladly give that to him.

 

“I,” he eventually started, a shiver filling his voice, “I’m sorry I came here. I just… I didn’t want to go home…” he muttered, and Magnus straightened himself on his bed, looking at Alec who was now looking at his hands, which were resting on his lap. 

 

“It’s okay,” Magnus reassured him, or, at least, hoped it reassured him. “Did something happen?”

 

“I don’t even know why I’m here… I just…” he trailed off, words caught in his throat, and Magnus could have felt offended, but he was a gladiator and Alec was a patrician, and he kind of understood Alec’s inner turmoil, “I didn’t even realize I had walked all the way from the Library to the Ludus.”

 

Silence once again began to invade the room, spreading with a now suffocating force. Now that Alec had started talking, Magnus never wanted him to stop. But Alec was struggling with his thoughts, so Magnus had to be there for him.    
  
Alec was his friend, after all.   
  
“I think I just need to take my mind off my studies for a few hours,” he breathed out, and Magnus would have gladly made an innuendo but Alec’s facial expression was enough for him to keep his mouth shut. He looked so young, so vulnerable in that moment, Magnus wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold him tight.   
  
He didn’t.   
  
“I have an idea,” he said instead.

  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, what did you think of it?  
> Please let me know!  
> Reviews and kudos are greatly appreciated ^.^
> 
> I'll post the second chapter asap <3


	2. Morituri te salutant (Those who are about to die salute you)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus fights by Valentine's side.
> 
> Alec and Magnus grow closer.
> 
> It's time for Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy guys! I'm back!!~
> 
> I would like to thank you all so SO much for all the kudos, hits and comments on this fic, you all truly make my days.  
> I'm so glad you like the story as much as I enjoy writing it.
> 
> Once again, I'd like to thank my amazing beta and fandom mom Lu (aka lecrit) <3
> 
> Here comes the second chapter of this fic!  
> ENJOY <3

“Where are we?” Alec inquired, his voice not louder than a whisper, probably afraid of getting caught somewhere they shouldn’t be - as if he hadn’t already sneaked into a place he wasn’t supposed to be in in the middle of the night. He stopped on the threshold, crossing his arms, and narrowed his eyes, trying to distinguish the forms of furniture in the room.  
  
He still didn’t understand why his feet had led him to the Ludus when he was supposed to go home to sleep. He had just been so tired of reading parchments and had left the Library, saying goodbye to Simon and let his mind guide him through the city.  
  
And his mind had decided to take him to Magnus.  
  
_Traitor._  
  
Magnus was standing a few feet away from Alec, facing him quietly and holding something in his hands. With his usual swiftness, he approached Alec, who was still standing by the door, and handed the thing to him.

 

It was a wooden sword.

 

Alec frowned, confused. “Why?” he simply asked.

 

“You said you needed to ‘take your mind off your studies for a few hours’,” Magnus air quoted, and now that he was close enough, he could discern his smile, despite the dimness of the room, “so I figured the _second_ best thing to do that,” he stressed the word and Alec rolled his eyes at the innuendo, the small smile forming at the corner of his mouth threatening to betray him, “is to blow off some steam by training.” He winked that him.  
  
The bastard definitely chose the words on purpose. Alec decided he would not give him the satisfaction of reacting to his awful choice of vocabulary.

 

Alec couldn’t accept Magnus’ offer, it was too risky. They could get caught. “Okay,” he said instead and cursed himself innerly. His own body was now double-crossing him.

 

Magnus’ grin only widened at Alec’s answer. “Great! Then let’s get started!” He walked past Alec, their shoulders brushing ever so lightly, and electricity raced through Alec - and likely Magnus, he pondered - once again. He inhaled sharply before following the other man to the training area.

 

“How long since you’ve held a sword, darling?” Magnus suddenly turned to ask him, tilting his head to the right.

 

“Three months,” Alec replied after a moment, “Jace insists I keep practicing even though I’ll probably never hold a sword again once I’m Senator.” He could feel the anticipated nostalgia in his own voice.

 

“Well, then I’ll make sure to challenge you to a duel once you wear that fancy white and red outfit, Alexander”, Magnus merely shrugged and mimicked the way Senators were dressed with a smooth gesture of his hands, making Alec laugh. His face lit up at that, as if he had just received the best reward ever.  
  
Alec felt himself blush.

 

They took fighting stances, facing each other, swords at the ready. Magnus was already smirking, and Alec rolled his eyes, a lopsided, challenging smile appearing on his face.

 

“Well, Alexander, would you do me the honor?” he purred in a velvety tone that threatened to make Alec’s knees crumble, but he composed himself and that question was enough to spur Alec into motion.  
  
He moved forward, his sword ahead of him, his arm not too outstretched - he remembered his first days of training after he had enrolled in the army, and the common mistakes that could be lethal - and balanced his weight perfectly as he inflicted the first blow, bending his arm just a little at the very last moment to take his adversary by surprise.

 

He was fighting Magnus, and although they had no intention of hurting each other, he still would do his best. So when Magnus told him it was a good move, the smiles they exchanged matched, and it only motivated him more.

 

They met each other strike after strike, but Alec could feel Magnus wasn’t fighting at his best. _That’s probably for the better_ , Alec thought to himself.

 

“So, tell me, Pretty Boy, how did you sneak into the Ludus?” If Magnus was willing to talk to him when they fought, Alec would not back away.

 

“By the roof.” He shrugged before propelling himself toward Magnus once again, who parried his move with a fluidity that made Alec grunt. _Damnit_. He knew the guy was a genius at sword fighting - he was his sponsor after all - but knowledge and practice were completely different things.

 

“Interesting…” Magnus replied, looking thoughtful. He dodged Alec’s blow, but made no further comment. Alec frowned but wouldn’t ask what he meant by that. Alec had just waited for the patrol to disappear behind the corner of the moon-lit street before climbing the wall and slipping inside as quietly as possible. He had done all that without really thinking about it, and then he remembered knocking on Magnus’ door.

 

They kept fighting for a while, dodging and swinging. They moved in perfect synchronisation, almost as if they were dancing.

 

“You’re gorgeous when you fight, darling,” Magnus suddenly whispered when Alec was close enough to hear. He stopped breathing, his eyes widening in shock. He had been so focused on his blade and the fight that he lost his balance for a second, and Magnus took advantage of it, sweeping Alec off his feet.

 

Alec was about to crash on the ground when he felt an arm slowing down his fall. When his back touched the sand, Magnus took his sword away from him and straddled his hips, hovering over him, his head moving closer to Alec’s.

 

“Distracted, weren’t we?” he chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows, his trademark smirk never leaving his bronze features.

 

Alec huffed and smiled, his eyes boring into Magnus. He was so close Alec could feel his hot breath against his skin. He watched, frozen into place, when Magnus’ eyes drifted lower to his mouth, and then went up again in the span of a second.  Alec felt himself blush before a daring, dangerous thought crossed his mind.  
  
He felt himself grow bold, if only for a second. He allowed his gaze to settle on Magnus’ inviting lips for a moment, before locking with Magnus’ deep brown pools once again, and he smirked, shifting closer. Magnus released a surprised breath, and closed his eyes when their lips were about to touch.  
  
Alec used that momentaneous lack of concentration to roll them over, so that Magnus was laying under him, eyes wide open, their faces inches apart. Alec however made sure their lower body parts weren’t touching, for his own sanity. He laughed.

 

“Distracted, weren’t we?” he repeated, and Magnus grinned. “Just so you know, I’m a quick learner,” Alec even dared to add.

 

“No one likes a tease, Alexander,” Magnus seemed out of breath, but he had clearly enjoyed Alec’s move.

 

“You do.”

 

“My, my, Alexander! I love that impish side of you.”

 

And with that, Alec was back to the blushing, stuttering mess he usually was around Magnus. He pulled away, sitting next to the gladiator as he rested himself on his elbows. “I don’t know what got into me,” he admitted, rubbing a hand on his tired face. “That won’t happen again.”

 

He felt himself drowning in a sea of lies and false hopes. Feeling Magnus’ hot breath against his lips had awakened something inside him and he had almost let himself slip into a trap. He couldn’t keep acting like that around Magnus, especially not at the Ludus, especially not when he was supposed to take the place of the dying Senator Marcus soon.

 

He rested his elbows on his knees, hiding his head in his arms. Silence fell onto the both of them, until Magnus, whose smile had somewhat lost its playfulness, jumped on his feet in a graceful motion, taking both their wooden swords in his hands.

 

Alec felt uncomfortable again, but not because of Magnus.  
  
Because of himself.

 

He had almost let it go too far. That could not happen again.  
  
He eventually stood up as well, and headed toward the armory, where Magnus had gone to put the weapons back. He leaned against the wall in the doorway. “Look, Magnus, I’m sorry.”

 

“There is nothing to be sorry for,” Magnus smiled at him, but there was a shivering in voice.  Was it regret? Alec didn’t want to think about it.

 

“Thanks,” he replied, rubbing at the back of his head nervously. “You were right. Training was a good idea.”

 

 _Until it wasn’t._  
  
Because I wanted to kiss you and that can’t happen.

 

“Anytime, Alexander,” Magnus’ tone was kind and welcoming, “you can come here whenever you want.”

 

Alec wanted to say it wouldn’t happen. Instead, he smiled. There was something, like a force, pushing him toward Magnus, it seemed, as he could not contain his words. “Thanks. I’ll think about it. Well, good night, Magnus.”

 

“Good night, Alexander.”

 

When he exited the Ludus that night, he felt like there was a weight in his heart that had never been there before.  
  
.

 

After that, Alec sneaking into the Ludus at night became a weekly occurrence. Magnus didn’t mind, he loved Alec’s company. The first thing he had noticed about him was how gorgeous his eyes were, a perfect shade of hazel, the brown mixing with the golden-green perfectly. The second thing was that he had probably been carved by the Gods themselves.  
  
But now, all he could think of was how brilliant and unusual Alec’s mind was. He had been a good fighter from the start, but he had learnt from his mistakes at an incredible pace. Magnus was simply in awe.  
  
Sometimes, when he wasn’t in the mood for fighting, they just sat in the middle of the training area and Alec would talk about his siblings and the few friends he had. Or he would teach Magnus the stars and constellations.

 

The thing Alec didn’t notice when he looked at the stars was that Magnus was unable to took his eyes away from his face. He talked with such passion, such admiration for these lights, scattered across an ocean of darkness, that Magnus started to feel like maybe Alec would be his own personal star.  
  
Magnus had succumbed to darkness long ago, but he was finally starting to think about reaching out for light.  
  


Alec always pretended he wasn’t a good orator, that he wasn’t the one people listened to, but the more he let himself free and talked to Magnus, the more Magnus realized how wrong the conception he had of himself was. He was calm and collected, opting for simple - yet accurate - words, but there was something in his voice, in the way he held himself as he spoke, that made Magnus want to listen to him.  
  
He was a born leader.

 

He was just, for some reason, unable to see it. That reason, Magnus figured, was probably his parents. Alec hardly ever mentioned them but every time he did, the glint in his eyes shifted, and his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Magnus frowned each time they did.  
  
Alec didn’t talked much about his studies, however. Magnus didn’t ask him to either, because he knew Alec liked to come see him to think about something else. But if he was as good of a student as he was of a speaker, Magnus had no doubt he would be a great Senator.  
  
He seemed interested in his studies, which was why Magnus kept wondering why his beautiful hazel eyes carried sadness - and determination, Magnus noticed - when he talked about the Senate.

 

Magnus felt attracted to Alec in a way he had never experienced before - not even with Camille - and he foolishly hoped something could happen between them. Yet, he had no idea whether or not Alec was interested in him - he blushed and laughed at his innuendos, and seemed to open up to him more than he normally would, but there was this resistance, this distance he kept on putting between them, and Magnus was left confused.

 

He knew Alec was a patrician and a closeted one at that. The Roman society was known for permitting same-sex affairs, but maybe not all of them.  
  
Magnus resolved to fight for them, if there was anything to fight for.

 

.  
  


“How are you feeling?”  
  
Magnus turned around to see Alec slipping inside his room, holding three books in his hands. Magnus smiled softly at him and shifted on his bed so Alec could join him. He sat at the edge, and handed the books to Magnus.  
  
“Thanks,” he said, “and I’m feeling okay, I think.” His eyes drifted lower, settling on the book covers. He gently ran a hand against them.

 

“What’s the problem?” Alec’s voice pulled him out of his daze.

 

“I just- I hate…” he started but stopped himself, realizing he had been about to talk about his troubled past with Alec, although he didn’t feel ready. Not yet. “I don’t like Valentine very much,” he finally said as his eyes found Alec’s.

 

He frowned. “Why?”

 

Magnus’ eyebrows furrowed and he clenched his jaw, closing his eyes tightly. “I can’t tell you, Alexander,” he whispered. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I’m just… not ready.” He heard it, the vulnerability in his voice and he hated the sound of it, but he couldn’t help it. He felt bad for not telling Alec, especially after everything Alec had told him about his siblings.

 

But he just couldn’t.  
  
“Okay,” Alec simply replied after a second that seemed to take an eternity to go by. This single word, muttered with such sincerity managed to make Magnus’ brain relax.

 

“So,” he said, desperately needing to change the topic of discussion, “are you coming to see me fight tomorrow?” And with that, he was back to smiling.

 

So was Alec. “Of course,” he nodded, “I can’t miss the fight of my gladiator.”

 

_My gladiator._

  
_Mine._  
  
Alec seemed to realize what he had just said because he blushed lightly, earning a chuckle from Magnus. “Couldn’t have expected less from _my_ handsome sponsor,” he winked, stressing the word and Alec shook his head, huffing in a vain attempt to hide his blushing, grinning face.

 

“You’re fighting against wild beasts tomorrow right? Two lionesses?”

 

“Oh darling, the only wild beast in the pit will be me.” He licked his lips deliberately, and then poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

 

“You’re impossible.” Alec scoffed then, running a hand on his forehead, both exasperated and flustered.

 

“That’s part of my charm, darling.”

 

They stared at each other then, probably for a bit too long, something Magnus couldn’t quite identify twirling inside Alec’s mind as his eyes took Magnus’ form in. Eventually, Alec gathered his hands on his lap and looked at them. Magnus could swear he had heard him mutter a curse under his breath, and he frowned.

 

Maybe he had misread the signs Alec had seemed to send his way.  
  
.

 

The sun was shining when Magnus entered the arena, the crowd cheering as loudly as his heartbeat. Celtillus was by his side, and so was Valentine. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on something else than his pure hatred for the man.

 

After a few fights, he had figured out Alec always seemed to sit at the same place in the amphitheater, so Magnus found him easily, smiling at him from afar.

 

He could do this.

 

He could put aside his thirst for murder to entertain people. His time would come.

 

After Hodge announced their fight to the crowd, and especially to The Clave, the most respected - and feared - group of Senators in Rome, the crowd erupted in a strong applause. Seeing all the Senators of the Clave at the Coliseum was something close to a feat, Alec had told Magnus, but they usually all came during celebration days.  
  
Like this one.

 

They wanted an unforgettable show to honor the Gods - Sol and Luna - and Magnus would gladly give them one. Apparently they had enjoyed the chariot race at the Circus Maximus before going to the Coliseum to see men fight wild creatures to their death.

 

The trio took their places in the pit, looking at the grids as they rose slowly, the metallic clinking of the chains against the bars resonating inside the amphitheater, who had grown quiet suddenly, trepidation feeling the atmosphere as the first angry roars of the big cats reached Magnus’ ears.

 

Three men against two lionesses.

 

They would have to be precise and deadly, if they wanted to get out of there alive. Magnus appreciated Cestillus, even though he was every bit the Gallic cliché: boorish and straightforward, with a certain penchant for drinking Magnus could only approve of. Most of all, he was a good man and an excellent fighter. He relied on his muscles, but also, sometimes, on his brain. He had surprised Magnus several times during their weeks of training for this particular fight, Magnus had to admit.

 

Valentine, on the other hand, Magnus wanted dead. Yet, he wouldn’t let anything, anyone else other than him do it. It was his mission, the purpose of his life since he had ran away. He would not let the opportunity slip by letting a lion rip him apart with their claws.

 

The lionesses were growling deeply, eyeing the three men as they made their way across the arena. Magnus was impressed, he had never seen these creatures before. He had read about them in some of the books Alec had given him, but the parchments didn’t do justice at all to the magnificence of these beasts.  
  
He felt a pang of guilt invade his body. These creatures, unlike him, hadn’t chosen to come here today to fight in the arena to death. Yet, they were very similar to him, in a way; they had been ripped away from their home, like himself so many years before, and they would never see their homeland nor their families ever again.

 

He gulped hard.

 

Magnus was endowed with a light, leather armor that partially covered his torso, spreading all the way from his shoulders to his hands. He had no defensive equipment; no helmet, no shield. Instead, he was only armed with a spear, whose blade at the end was probably sharp enough to cut through the thick skin of the animals.  
  
Yet, Magnus decided in that moment he wouldn’t injure the animals unless his life was severely threatened. He would defend himself and his comrades, but not attack the creatures.

 

While Magnus’ armor was light and enabled him to move quickly, Celtillus and Valentine wore heavy, metallic breastplates, with protections on their right arm, a small, round shield and a sword so small it looked like a dagger.

 

Valentine had a wicked smile on his face, as though he was looking forward to killing those poor creatures, so he slammed repeatedly his sword against his shield. The lionesses’ ears went up and turned toward the annoying banging, growling, their big, sharp, yellow teeth showing on the side of their maws.

 

All of a sudden, one of the big cats propelled itself toward Valentine, claws out and roaring, muscles rolling under its skin as they ran toward the man, and the other quickly followed. Celtillus and Magnus sprinted toward the other man, who was still grinning, madness shining in his eyes as the animals charged him.

 

Valentine stood steady on his feet as he waited for the impact, and when the first lioness was close enough, his grip tightened on his sword and he inflicted the first blow, blood spattering all around him and on his face. The animal grunted in pain, but it only seemed to spur it more, and it leaped forward, tackling Valentine to the ground.

 

Celtillus was the first to arrive a few feet away from Valentine but the other lioness stopped him from approaching closer, growling, its amber eyes shining with aggressivity. Sword at the ready, Celtillus waved it in front of the cat, and the creature fought back with a violent, strong slap of its claws that Celtillus dodged at the last second, falling onto the ground as he did so.  
  
Magnus was by his side a second later, hitting the lioness in the fat under its ribs with the wooden haft of his weapon. He had to push it away from Celtillus, so that the man would have some time to recover and get back up. The creature hissed at him with a roar, wrinkling its ocher nose as it revealed its teeth to him, ready to jump at Magnus’ throat and kill him.

 

So when the lioness moved and aimed for his neck, Magnus ducked and somersaulted to the left, taking the animal by surprise. It turned its big, furry head toward him, and Magnus kneeled and gripped his spear tighter, the blade shining under the blinding light of the sun. The lioness was about to attack him again when it suddenly squeal in pain, the sound resonating into Magnus’ ears, its eyes widening, before falling unanimated on the sand.

 

Magnus was confused for a second, until he heard the crowd cheer loudly and Celtillus took his sword out of the animal’s dead body, wiping off the blood against its fur. Magnus released a heavy breath, looking into the animal’s big eyes as life faded away from them, blood flowing freely out of its neck. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his heartbeat and found Celtillus’ eyes.

 

He looked proud of himself and Magnus felt even worse.  
  
They were brought out of their thoughts by Valentine’s angry scream and they turned around just in time to see the lioness aiming for his arm trying to chop it off the man’s body. He kicked the animal in the face, earning a furious roar in return.  
  
He had apparently lost his sword earlier in the fight, because it was laying in the sand a few feet away from him, and Celtillus ran to his help, bending down to grab the sword and charged the remaining feline.

 

When he tried to inflict a blow, however, the lioness was waiting for him, and he didn’t have the time to dodge the forceful swipe the animal gave him. Blood splashed out of Celtillus’ body, and he gripped at his ribs tight, stumbling away from the fight, before he fell onto the hot sand, hands still on his side, crying in agony.

 

The lioness turned to Valentine once again, who barely avoided its hungry maw, and Magnus struck the cat with the haft of his spear, catching its attention. He would have gladly let Valentine die instead, but Celtillus was badly injured and Magnus knew he would have a hard time winning this fight in a one-to-one fight against the lioness, so he decided Valentine could live, for now, and went to help him.

 

Magnus kept dodging and parrying blows from the feline with his natural swiftness, moving around the arena to drive the lioness away from Valentine. The cat was watching him with a powerful wrath swirling inside its fire-colored eyes. Roaring, the animal tried to stick its claws in Magnus arm again and when he was about to reply, it happened.  
  
He felt the coldness of a blade enter him by the flank, spreading like wildfire through his body. His eyes widened as he understood what was happening. He grabbed his side with his free hand, oblivious to his surroundings, and lifted it up to observe it. As he acknowledged the red color staining his hand, he felt his whole body tremble, coldness taking over, and a metallic taste invaded his dry mouth.

 

He fell to his knees, letting the spear drop to the ground as he clutched both hands at his side. The pain was agonizing. His breathing became sharp and quick. His view blurred and the resonating sound of his heartbeat against his ear-drum was deafening, making him sick. He shook his head in a weak, desperate attempt to stay awake.  
  
He saw Valentine take his blade out of the lioness’ unconscious form and Magnus gritted his teeth tightly. The man looked fierce and extremely proud of himself as he approached Magnus.

 

“Did you really think I had forgotten your face, you little bastard?” He laughed wickedly as he kneeled in front of a sweating Magnus. “No, no, I haven’t. I remember your dear mother and what you said that day. I thought you’d be dead by now but look at you, all grown up. Too bad you’re going to die in this arena. I would have liked it better if I could have beaten you in a duel, but you know… I had to improvise. I couldn’t let you kill the creature and get all the glory.”

 

Magnus’ face ached from the intense clenching of his jaw. His whole body hurt and he could barely muster a single word. “Bastard,” he managed to breathe out faintly as he took in everything Valentine had just told him. His hatred for the monster this man was only multiplied .

 

He managed to keep his eyes open until the gate opened, and he could discern figures - humans - running toward him and Celtillus.  
  
The last thing he heard before darkness enveloped him was Alec shouting his name.  
  
.  
  
“Is he going to be okay?” Alec asked his sister as she finished bandaging Magnus injured side, helped by Catarina.

 

They had fled right to the Ludus infirmary with Magnus unconscious body, Alec carrying him in his arms - and damn the man was heavy, being all muscles - and had settled him gently on a bed, as Isabelle and Catarina rushed toward their medicine equipment and bustled around to save him.  
  
Alec had stayed by Magnus’ side as he watched them work, sometimes asking if there was anything he could do to help them, or make their work easier. Catarina had told him softly to talk to Magnus, that it could help him regain consciousness and prevent him from completely slipping away.  
  
Alec had frowned at first, but had eventually done as he was told. If it could help Magnus, then he would do it.

 

After Magnus had fallen unconscious, Alec had rushed by his side, along with Catarina and Isabelle, and he now realized he had never felt so worried, not since Max’s accident.

 

“He lost a lot of blood,” Isabelle told him, but there was hope in her eyes, “but he’ll make it. Luckily enough, the blade hasn’t reached any vital organ and Magnus is strong. We’ll have to change his bandages every two hours though, to prevent the wound from getting infected.” She rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

 

He put his hand above hers. “Thank you, Izzy,” he whispered, “and Catarina,” he added when he turned to watch the other physician.

 

Magnus was still pale, his usual colorful face now contorted in pain even in his sleep, but at least his breathing was steadier and he still seemed less tormented than when Alec had gathered his strong body in his arms.

 

.  
  
Alec stayed several hours there, in the infirmary, watching Magnus’ unconscious form. He took in everything; the small crease between his eyebrows, the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed, the way his eyes seemed to move under his closed eyelids. Gradually, colors seemed to come back on his face, and Alec felt relieved.  
  
Isabelle and Catarina took turns to change Magnus’ bandaging. “Could you-,” Alec started, feeling suddenly exposed, and his sister looked at him with a questioning look on her face, “could you teach me how to do it? Change his bandage?” He could hear the hope in his own voice, the desperation as well, for not being able to do anything to help Magnus.

 

“Sure,” she offered in reply, smiling, and beckoned him to circle the bed to stand by her side. She showed him how to take the bandage off with a hand, putting the other one against Magnus’ skin, applying a good pressure so that he wouldn’t bleed out to death while she changed the stripe of linen and pulled on the bandage to remove it completely from under Magnus’ back.

 

She then reached for the clean bandage and applied it with care and precision, covering the wound more than the rest of his body for good measure. Alec watched attentively his sister’s movements. “I’ll let you do it next time, if you want.”

 

“Thanks,” he simply replied as his eyes locked on Magnus’ face again.

 

“You should head home, it’s getting late,” she told him, reaching for his forearm and stroking it gently.

 

“I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here,” he confessed and hated how vulnerable and helpless he sounded. When had he let this man, this wonderful man, get to him? He was trying so hard not to give in to his growing feelings, but seeing him lying unconscious in a bed, his middle all patched up to keep him alive, was an atrocious sight Alec wanted to wipe off of his mind.  
  
But he couldn’t. Because Magnus was in a bed, unconscious, and he needed him.

 

Maybe he was selfish for thinking so. Maybe Magnus didn’t need him. And maybe he was only there to reassure himself, not the other way around. But he couldn’t help wanting to stay at the Ludus nonetheless.

 

Isabelle seemed to read his mind because she opened her mouth to protest and tell him to go home, but eventually shut it, remaining silent. Only the sparkle in her eyes shifted. As if she understood why he felt the urge to stay by Magnus’ side.

 

 _He was so fucked._  
  
“Okay.” She smiled softly at him and he furrowed his brows. He released a heavy breath he didn’t know he had been holding. His eyes remained glued on Magnus and he stood by the bed until he heard Izzy move something behind him. She brought him a chair and gestured for him to sit.

 

“Thank you, Izzy,” he muttered.

 

“No problem, big bro,” her grin widened, “I’ll be back in a few hours. Catarina will change his bandage in less than two hours. Try to get some rest.” She kissed his cheek and left the room, leaving Alec alone with his thoughts.

 

.

 

The first thing Alec noticed when he woke up, was that Magnus was still stuck between sleeping and being unconscious. The second one was that it was early morning, judging by the intensity of the light bathing the infirmary. The third one was that he was not alone.

 

Ragnor and Raphael were both sitting next to the bed, worry written all over their faces - in spite of Raphael clearly trying to appear unaffected, which could have made Alec laugh, if he wasn’t feeling so nauseous.

 

“Hi Alec,” Ragnor said politely when he noticed he was awake.

 

“Hi,” he yawned and stretched. “How long have you been there?”

 

“A while,” Raphael stated, but there was no hint of annoyance in his tone, only concern.

 

“How is he?” Ragnor inquired, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“He’ll be alright, according to Isabelle and Catarina.”

 

Alec remembered what his sister had told him.  
  
_Magnus is strong._

 

 _That he is_ , Alec thought to himself, a small smile creeping at the edge of his mouth for a second.

 

Alec felt drained, both physically and emotionally. He had helped Catarina and Isabelle every two hours to clean Magnus’ wound and bandage him, trying to sleep in between, but the chair he sat in was nothing near comfortable and his back ached. Yet he didn’t care.  
  
_Magnus was still not awake._

 

Someone passed by the door of the infirmary, casting their shadow on the wall opposite the door, and Alec figured out who it was. He felt his body fume with rage and he stood up hastily, the chair shaking and then falling to the ground in a loud bang, but Alec didn’t care and was already out of the room.

 

“You,” he hissed with such anger that his mouth trembled, “you fucking asshole.” He strode toward the gladiator, who turned his head to face the man who was insulting him.

 

He had barely had the time to register Alec’s presence in front of him that Alec gathered all the strength he had to punch him right in the face. His knuckles hit Valentine’s nose with such force Alec could swear he had heard the cartilage break, and if the pained cry the man emitted was any hint, he had indeed broken that bastard’s nose.

 

Valentine lost his balance at the impact, falling on the ground and cursing Alec as he spat blood.

 

His hands still balled into fists, his nails digging into his palms, Alec stood over Valentine and looked down on him. “Don’t you ever dare touch Magnus again.”

 

At that, Valentine’s eyes seemed to light up and a wicked grin appeared on his bloody face. “Oh, you angry I hurt your boyfriend, Pretty Boy?” When Alec’s face paled at the word ‘boyfriend’ and then growled at the nickname, Valentine’s madness was clear in his eyes. “I should have killed him instead of simply injure him, don’t you think? Now he is gonna want his revenge even more…”. He laughed manically,”I can’t wait for him to come after me so I can kill him like I -”

 

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Alec yelled, unaware of the attention their little altercation had gathered. He didn’t know how he and Magnus knew each other - or if they even did, Valentine could just be playing with his mind - but that was certainly not a story he would want to hear from anyone but Magnus.  
  
He lifted his hand and pointed at Valentine with a threatening finger. “Stay away from him or I swear by the Gods that I’ll kill you myself,” he barked, and with that, he headed back toward the infirmary.

 

.

 

Two days after the punch, he was still at the Ludus, waiting for Magnus to wake up. Hodge hadn’t forced him to leave, but he hadn’t been too happy of the way Alec had tried to handle things with Valentine. Alec knew he’d be allowed at the Ludus until Magnus woke up. After that, it would only raise more suspicion and that was not something Alec was ready to face yet.

 

With Magnus being unconscious, he could always say he had to make sure the man he sponsored was in good hands and well taken care of, even though Isabelle was his sister and he would trust her with his life.

 

Isabelle had gone to see Simon at the Library the day before and had brought Alec several books so he could keep studying at the Ludus if he felt like it.  
  
He didn’t.

 

All he wanted at the moment was for Magnus to wake up. And then he felt guilt build in his chest. Once Magnus woke up, he could never give him what they both wanted. Or at least, what Alec wanted and what he could guess Magnus wanted, according to the generous amount of innuendos he made, or the way he looked at him when Alec talked.

 

Alec had never been attached to anyone - except for his siblings - the way he had gotten attached to Magnus. It was an unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling. It sent warmth to his heart.  
  
But it would not last.  
  
Alec pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. He felt tired, extremely so. He had barely slept, and he could feel the huge bags under his eyes. He was just waiting for a sign, anything, from Magnus.

 

But it wouldn’t come.  
  
.  
  
He was pulled out of sleep a couple of hours later - when the hell had he dozed off? - by the feeling of a warm, gentle hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes slowly, still in the half-asleep, half-awake daze, until his gaze fell on Magnus’ face.

 

He was awake.

 

He blinked a few times. “Magnus, you’re awake?” he exclaimed a little too cheerfully.

 

“Water,” he murmured, and his weak voice sounded husky and dry, “please.”

 

“Sure.” Alec jumped to his feet and went to grab the water jug on the infirmary’s desk, taking a glass and filling it, before handing it to Magnus, who engulfed the liquid in two quick gulps that nearly made him choke.

 

Alec reached for him but Magnus lifted his hand, coughing. “I’m alright, darling.”

 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Alec confessed, his voice low and his eyes happy.

 

Magnus chuckled lightly, the sound invigorating. Alec smiled widely, happiness flowing through his veins.”Have you been there all the time?”

 

Alec didn’t even try to hide his blush. “I… yeah,” he breathed out and Magnus’ eyebrows shot up.

 

“Really?” He frowned, observing his face more carefully. “How many hours of sleep did you get?”

 

“Enough,” Alec told him with a reassuring smile.

 

Magnus looked at him, giving him a dubious look but didn’t insist. “How long have I been asleep?”

 

 _Two days, fifteen hours and about twenty-eight minutes_ , Alec recalled in his head.

 

“Almost three days,” he replied instead, his eyes boring into Magnus’.  
  
Shock appeared on Magnus’ face and he moved on the bed before grimacing, visibly wincing at the pain.

 

“You shouldn’t try to move. You’ve lost a lot of blood and you’re still weak,” Alec scolded him, putting his hand on Magnus’ strong shoulder to push him back on the bed. To Alec’s surprise, Magnus didn’t try to waggle away from his grasp and stand up. Instead, his touch seemed welcomed and Magnus settled back on the mattress.

 

“You should rest,” Alec told him softly, “so your recovery will be quicker.”

 

And with that, Magnus’ mind drifted off to darkness once again.  
  
.

 

Once Magnus was back on his feet, Alec had to get back home. Which meant that Magnus was back to only seeing Alec every other day. He had been gotten used to his presence and now he was left craving for more time to spend with Alec.

 

He still couldn’t believe Alec had stayed by his side during his full recovery. Hope settled in his core once again and he smiled softly at the thought.

 

Magnus spent most of his time in his room, because he was still too weak to return in the arena, and he read book after book, learning things about Africa and Europe that left him speechless. He also asked Ragnor for some History and language lessons, because he was interested in learning more and because he had the time to do it properly.

 

The latest books Alec had brought him were about the Roman army, and especially their fleet. The complexity and the size of it were impressive. He read about Britannia and Gaul, as well as about Iberia. Magnus had travelled all around Asia, and now he wanted to discover everything this side of the world had to offer.

 

He wished he could do that with Alec by his side.

 

There was a knock on his door that night and Magnus smiled. He recognized Alec’s way of knocking. “Come in, Alexander,” he said with a soft voice. When the door opened to reveal a grinning Alec, Magnus’ heart skipped a beat. He cleared his throat. “How are you, my dear?”

 

“Pretty good,” he replied with bright eyes as he settled down on the bed, next to Magnus. He was carrying parchments against his side. “How are you?” he inquired, frowning.

 

“I’m okay,” Alec said and Magnus looked at him with a raised, dubious, eyebrow. Alec sighed, “I just - I thought…” he trailed off, looking down at the parchments and Magnus took the hint.

 

“You thought you could come study here instead of at the Library?” There was hope and amusement in his tone, surprise too.

 

“Well…yes,” he admitted shyly, avoiding Magnus’ gaze as his cheeks flushed. “I mean, if that’s okay with you?”

 

Magnus smiled. “Of course it is, come here.” He gestured for Alec to come and sit down next to him on the mattress. Alec complied, bitting on his abused bottom lip. To ease the building the growing tension in the room, Magnus turned to Alec, and smirked. “So,” he began, catching Alec’s attention, “what happened with Valentine when I was still unconscious?”

 

Alec blanked. “I - I-” He fought to find his words.

 

Magnus giggled. “Ragnor and Raphael told me, darling. Apparently it was quite the show.” He winked. “I mean, you broke his nose and had him on the ground in front of everyone,” he purred, tasting the untamed pride dripping from his velvety voice.

 

A small laugh escaped Alec, who started fumbling with his fingers. “Everything happened so fast.”

 

“I like that protective side of you, Alexander,” he said, winking again, and Alec avoided his gaze. Magnus frowned and after a few minutes of silence, he made another attempt at putting Alec at ease. “What are you reading?”

 

Maybe talking about something Alec liked would work.

 

Alec’s hazel pools found Magnus’ eyes. “I- uh… It’s about Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last King of Rome. Before the Republic,” he stammered again in the most endearing way and Magnus smiled.

 

“Is it interesting?”

 

“Yeah,” Alec nodded, “did you know he was overthrown by a popular uprising? People took their future in hand and fought against monarchy for what they believed was fair instead.”

 

Magnus watched, utterly captivated, as Alec described the fall of the Roman monarchy with so much details and enthusiasm Magnus had a hard time keeping up with the flow of his words. Once again, Alec proved to Magnus that, when he was passionate about whatever he talked about, he was an excellent orator. He talked with his big, expressive hands, putting emphasis on his spoken words and was staring down at them unconsciously as the words flowed out of his mouth with ease.

 

Magnus was still listening to him, his eyes unfocused somewhere on Alec’s handsome face, when Alec looked up and stiffened. “Magnus?” he asked, unsure.

 

Magnus shook his head. “Sorry, I was listening,” he promised, “I was just distracted by that smart, beautiful head of yours, dear.”

 

Alec’s eyes widened and he turned red, his ears coloring as well. He scratched at the back of his neck. “Why do you always do this?” he blurted out.

 

“Do what?” Magnus inquired, slightly taken aback.

 

“Compliment me,” he deadpanned, and Magnus wanted to laugh for a second, before realizing Alec was serious.

 

He blinked. “Because - because I’ve been told to always tell the truth,” he kind of stuttered and hated it because Magnus Bane did not stammer. He tilted his head to the side, frowning. “You really don’t know, do you?”

 

“Know what?” Alec furrowed his eyebrows.

 

“How beautiful and unique you are,” Magnus breathed out in a whisper and he heard Alec’s breath catch in his throat, eyes wide.

 

The patrician closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I-”, he started, looking frantic, “I can’t do this, Magnus.”

 

Magnus swallowed. Alec had not uttered the words, but the message was clear. He wouldn’t let Magnus become anything more than a friend. Magnus had thought he’d be ready to face the ugly truth, but it still made his whole ribcage tighten around his already broken - and mended several times - heart.

 

He hate how vulnerable he must look. He couldn’t talk. So he grabbed his book back and started reading.

 

Alec did the same.

 

They remained there, in Magnus’ room, reading in silence until it was time for Alec to go home.

 

Magnus felt cold inside.  
  
.  
  
The next morning, when Alec entered the Library, Simon’s voice greeted him. “Hey Alec!” he shouted, and Alec approached him with a small smile on his lips.

 

He still felt bad for what had happened with Magnus the night before. After he had gone back to his villa, he had been unable to sleep. His brain was restless and driving him crazy. His thoughts had betrayed him by drifting far away from his bed, across the city, to settle on a man with bronze skin and a gorgeous smile that could light up even the darkest places.

 

“You here with me, Alec?” Simon pulled him out of his thoughts, grinning. “What were you thinking about? You were all smiles, not that it’s not a good look on you - of course it is - but why-”

 

“Simon,” Alec shot him a stern look, “stop that.”

 

“Alright,” the other guy answered sheepishly, “but Clary and I want to know why we don’t see you at the Library as often as we used to.” Now he was clearly smirking and Alec rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m not telling you.”

 

“Isabelle said you’d say that. Of course she knew, she’s your sister. But now, I only want to find out even more. Is it about the gladiators? Is it about the grumpy-looking one? I think he is friend with the one you’re sponsoring and damn, have you seen the man? He may always seem angry, but let me tell you, my pan ass loves th-”

 

“Simon,” Alec repeated with the same tone of exasperation - and fondness, even though he’d never admit it, “it’s not about Raphael.”

 

“His name is Raphael?”

 

“Aren’t you in love with my sister?” Now he was frowning, crossing his arms in a protective stance.

 

“Of course I am, man.” Simon lifted his hands in innocence, “I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone else, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look, right?” he asked, unsure of himself now. “I mean… I can even tell you Magnus has a great ass.” He smirked, waiting for Alec’s reaction.

 

Which didn’t disappoint.

 

Alec’s mouth opened in a perfectly shaped ‘o’ and he frowned. “Hey!” he protested lamely, and Clary and Isabelle’s giggles - they had entered the room from behind Simon and were now coming closer to them - matched Simon’s. Alec huffed in disbelief. “You suck.”

 

“Not as much as you d-” Isabelle began with a smirk before Alec slammed a hand on her mouth to keep her from finishing her sentence. He took a deep breath and released it. “You’re all insufferable.” He withdrew his hand, letting go his sister, and took a step back. “I can’t be here anymore.” He gestured around where the three of them were standing.

 

“Go pick some books for you and Magnus to read!” Isabelle yelled at his back when he disappeared behind bookshelves, diving into the alleys of the Library. “Love you, big bro!” she cheered.

 

“Love you too!” he yelled back, and couldn’t contain his smile.

 

“Sisters can really drive you nuts sometimes”, he muttered under his breath.

 

Alec’s friends had figured out months ago his sexuality and had accepted him right away. After all, Simon had already come out as pansexual and clearly no one in their little group of friends was straight.

 

Thinking about that as he chose new books for Magnus - who still couldn’t go back in the pit - made him regret the way he had rejected Magnus’ affection the night before. But he just couldn’t bring himself not to care about what The Clave or his parents thought. He was the first born of the family, he couldn’t just have an affair with not just a man, but a gladiator.

 

Alec squeezed his eyes shut, frustration taking over, and leaned against a bookshelf. He remained there, thinking, for a while - or at least, it had seemed like a long time. He decided against what his heart was telling him to do.

 

Instead, he decided to avoid Magnus as much as possible for the next couple of weeks.

 

.  
  
“Alec?” a familiar voice called for him and he turned around on his chair to find his little brother, Max, standing by the door, leaning on his wooden clutches.

 

“Max!” He rushed toward his little brother, kneeled and tugged him into a tight hug - although he was careful not to hurt him.” When he pulled back, he smiled. “You’ve grown again,” he said, patting his little brother’s head and ruffling his dark brown hair.

 

“Hey! Stop that!” Max wiggled out of his grasp. His grey eyes, sprinkled with dots of hazel, were laughing, though, and he went to hug his older brother again. “I’ve missed you, big brother.”

 

“I’ve missed you too,” Alec confessed with a bright smile and led them both toward his bed. “So, how was Gallic?”

 

“It was great! I met a lot of people, and Lydia was super nice, of course.” His eyes were shining and Alec felt lighter than he had in days.

 

He had not seen Magnus, had given the books to Hodge instead, and had dived into his studies. The old Senator he would replace was to die soon, according to the physicians he had hired to keep him alive, so Alec had to be ready at any time.

 

Lydia had been Alec best friend’s - safe for Jace and Izzy - all throughout their childhood. She was as hard-working as he was, but infinitely more charismatic in his eyes. She was as fierce as she was caring, because she did everything with passion. She also let her brain guide her rather than her heart.

 

One of the only times Alec had seen her cry was after the loss of her husband. He had been a centurion, just like Jace, and had perished during a battle in Iberia. Alec had stayed by her side during her mourning and when she had decided to leave Rome for some time to go to Gallic to change her mind, Alec had asked her to take Max with her, for he was interested in travelling but their parents had forbidden him to because his accident.

 

Max was eight when he was hit by a chariot in the streets of Rome. His frail little leg had broken under the impact and he had been sent flying across the pavement of the street. Alec had not been there that day, and he often wished he had. He should have been there to protect his little brother from any form of harm.  
  
He was the eldest, he was supposed to protect his siblings.

 

“I’m glad you had a good time. So where did you go?” At the question, Max’s face lit up and he began narrating his journey across Gallic. He, Lydia and some other people had travelled across the Aquitaine, met lots of Arverne people - which had often been described as boorish in Alec’s books, but were very nice and open-minded people, Max stated - and all the way up to Armoric.

 

Most Gallic people were illiterate, because their traditions were orally shared so Max had been a little disappointed, as he told Alec, not to be able to bring back parchments for Alec to read.

 

Alec chuckled and ruffled his hair once again, earning a wave of protests from Max. “What about you? Anything new in your life?”

 

Alec looked outside his room, toward the peristylum, and looked at the flowers of the patio from afar. “I - uh… not so much.”

 

He felt Max frown at his side. “I smell bullshit.” Alec turned to him and he found his little brother with a serious expression crossing his features. “You seem happier. But at the same time, I feel like you’re frustrated about something. So I’d say you’ve found someone - a man, and yes, I know you’re gay, big bro, and it’s okay, you don’t have to lie to me,” he said with so much sincerity, smiling, that Alec felt tears filling his eyes, “so you’ve found someone, but you know Mom and Dad wouldn’t accept you as you truly are, so you just keep hiding, breaking your heart and the other man’s in the process. Am I right?”

 

Alec shook his head, a small smile appearing on his features. “When did you become so smart?” he said, almost in disbelief, as the words of his brother echoed in his emotionally-drained brain. “You’re fourteen, it should be the other way around.”

 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Max replied, snuggling closer to his big brother, sending him an apologetic look. “So,” he said after a while, “who is he?” he teased.

 

Alec rolled his eyes fondly. He wanted to be brave. “Magnus,” he whispered, as if he was afraid of being caught, “he is a gladiator.”  

 

“Oh, now that’s interesting. I bet he is wonderfully built.” Max was smirking now and Alec blushed. “Oh, that good, uh?”

 

Alec huffed, “Maybe.”

 

“Oh come on, Alec!” Max pushed on his shoulders. “Don’t leave me hanging, I’m your little brother!”

 

“Which is why we shouldn’t even have this conversation, for a start,” Alec deadpanned, making Max laugh even harder.

 

“You’re no fun.” Max pouted. “I’m gonna see Isabelle and Jace, maybe they’ll tell me more about this ‘Magnus’.”

 

“Don’t you dare!” Alec grabbed him by the waist to prevent him from exiting the room.

 

“Can I meet him then?” There was a mischievous spark shining in Max’s eyes.

 

“If you behave,” Alec said and Max went still, sitting on the bed, the only hint of his playfulness being the huge smirk plastered on his face.

 

When Max spoke again, though, his voice sounded gentle and genuinely curious. “How would you describe him to me?”

 

Alec took a deep breath, trying to find the best words he could use to do justice to Magnus. “He is -” he sighed, his hands hanging out in the air in front of him and he looked at them as if they had the answers written all over them. “He is amazing,” he said in a breath.

 

“Do you love him?”

 

“I don’t know, Max. I’m confused,” he admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed and resting his head in his hands, elbows pressed against his lap. “And even if I were, this is will never be accepted among the Senators… I can’t -”

 

“Screw the Senators, Alec!” Max snapped. “Well, maybe don’t. That’s gross.” He wrapped his arms around Alec’s broad shoulders,”But I think you should go for what makes you happy, big brother. You’ve always been the one to protect us, but you have to think about your happiness too, you know. And if it goes hand to hand with Magnus, then so be it.”

 

“I can’t, Max. Mother and Father -”

 

“Alec!” he cut him off abruptly, although he was quite gentle in doing so, squeezing his shoulder in the process. “I know this is very hard for you because you’re afraid of their reactions, but we just want you to know that no matter what, Izzy, Jace and I - hell, even Lydia, Clary and Simon -, we will always be there for you and accept who you are. We’ll be by your side and if The Clave and the Senate reject you as a Senator because of who you love, then they don’t deserve you and we’ll all go into exile so you can live happily with Magnus.”

 

Alec was looking at his little brother, bewildered. “I - Thank you, Max.”

 

“No problem, big bro.” His tiny arms were still tightly wrapped around Alec’s middle, until Alec shifted a bit on the bed.

 

Alec sighed. “But even if I find the strength to come out, I doubt Magnus will still want me.”

 

“Why would you think that? Does he not like you?” Max was frowning now.

 

“I’m not sure.” He was biting his bottom lip now.  
  
“Well, if he doesn’t, he sure as hell doesn’t deserve you either, but Alec, I know you and you don’t get too attached to people outside of your comfort zone, and if the way your eyes light up everytime you say his name is any indication, I’d say you’ve gotten quite comfortable around him, which says a lot. I’d say your feelings are reciprocated, otherwise you’d already have given up on the very possibility of finding happiness.”

 

“You really have to stop being so smart, it’s annoying,” Alec said and Max stuck his tongue out to him.

  
Alec promised himself he’d go to the Ludus that night, to apologize and make amends, if Magnus was willing to hear what he had to say.  
.  
  
“Come on, Raph, you’re moving like a 70-year-old man!” Magnus exclaimed playfully as he ducked the blow.

 

“Shut up,” his friend growled in answer, and it was enough to make Magnus chuckle.  
  
They had been training for two hours now and Magnus was still feeling very energetic, very dynamic. He needed to get his mind off Alec, and Raphael and Ragnor had offered him an extra training session for the day.  
  
Now, with the sunset bathing the Ludus in a magical atmosphere, Magnus was more motivated than ever. He didn’t want to think about Alec.  
  
_Because it hurt._  
  
Not only did Alec’s rejection hurt but it was also the look in his eyes as he had told Magnus that he couldn’t do ‘it’ that struck Magnus right in the chest.  
  
Alec was scared. Scared for his career, for his family, for his reputation. He was scared he would lose everything if he were to be seen with a gladiator in the most intimate way. Romans claimed to be an open-minded, evolved people but the relationship between two men, especially one involving a Senator was frowned upon, and it made Magnus sick.  
  
He was tired. Tired of being left behind, tired of not being good enough. There was still a little voice in his head telling him that he’d be happy someday, but it was fading more and more as days went by.  
  
At least, he’d have his revenge soon enough.

 

He kept exchanging blows with Raphael for a little bit, Ragnor watching them from the side. “Stop ogling your man, Ragnor!” Magnus half-laughed as he caught sight of Ragnor’s intense gaze set on Raphael.

 

Ragnor rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. “Let me enjoy the view.”

 

In front of Magnus, Raphael looked half-offended, half-amused - which was a lot to say, considering it was Raphael actually showing emotions. “He can blush!” Magnus cheered, a wide smile spread across his face. “And here I thought you were dead inside, with no blood to color your skin,” he joked, and Raphael sent him a stern look.

 

“Focus, Bane,” was all he said, but Magnus definitely caught him smiling at Ragnor.

 

After a while, Raphael let Ragnor take over from him as Magnus was still in need to blow steam off. “Are you okay?” Ragnor asked with genuine concern.

 

“I’m fine,” Magnus deadpanned, frowning and propelling himself forward, aiming for Ragnor’s knee. His friend blocked his blade with ease - which made Magnus proud, if he was being honest - and counter-attacked.

 

When Ragnor took a step back, Magnus noticed the dubious expression plastered upon the other man’s features. He was not buying it. “Seriously, Magnus, don’t lie to us,” he sighed, “we’re your friends. We noticed something is off. Is it because of Alec?”

 

The adrenaline flowing through Magnus’ veins seemed to leave his body at once when he heard his sponsor’s name. He clenched his jaw and straightened, standing in front of Ragnor with no intention whatsoever to carry on with the training. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He ran a tired hand across his face as the fingers of his other hand fidgeted with the hilt of his wooden sword.

 

“Idiota,” he heard Raphael mutter under his breath sharply, but not without a hint of worry.

 

Ragnor shot him a pointed look before he turned back to Magnus. “Look, Magnus,” he started, looking at Magnus like he was an untamed animal, “I know you don’t like to talk about yourself - and don’t tell me nothing has changed with Alec because he hasn’t been here in days, you avoid each other and you don’t smile as much as you used to.” Magnus was about to retort something, but Ragnor went on, ”and I know you don’t want to talk about your past, but we’re worried, okay? What happened with Valentine in the arena, it’s -”

 

“None of your business,” Magnus cut him off, “I’m sorry, guys, I really appreciate you being there for me but this is something I must do. I can’t tell you and have you trying to convince me not to carry out my mission.” He felt bad not opening up to his friends but he really couldn’t. He had to stay focused.

 

“Your mission?”

 

“I can’t tell you more about this. Not yet.” He lifted a hand to accentuate his words, and then balled his hands into fists, his grasp tightening around the wood of the sword. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay. We just want you to know that we’re here.” Magnus nodded, a weak, sad smile replacing his joyful grin from earlier, and headed toward the weaponry.

 

“Thank you,” was all he said before leaving his friends behind as he made his way toward his room.

 

When he turned around the last corner of the peristylium, he frowned.

 

Alec was there, leaning his back against a column, his eyes set down on his restless fingers as he rubbed his hands together nervously. He was surprised to see Alec there, but quickly recovered. He didn’t want Alec to know how much seeing him in front of his room affected him.

 

Especially after so many days without seeing his gorgeous hazel eyes shining under the moonlight.

 

He approached with careful, measured step and cleared his throat, visibly startling Alec. He cocked an eyebrow. “Alexander,” he purred, “what are you doing here?”  
  
If a part of him was already overjoyed at the idea of talking to Alec again, the other half of his brain was afraid Alec had come to put an end to their contract - even though Hodge had mentioned neither of them could do that.

 

Alec stiffened and stood tall, his hands behind his back. In that moment, he looked more like a soldier than a senator and Magnus almost smiled. His left hand was still agitated at his side as he dared look into Magnus’ awaiting eyes.

 

He flushed - adorably, not that Magnus was willing to admit it until they talked - as his eyes bored into Magnus’, his mouth agape. “I - uh…,” he stuttered and closed his eyes, “look, Magnus, I’m not good at apologies but… I’m sorry,” he blurted out suddenly.

 

“Continue,” Magnus heard himself say.

 

Alec seemed a bit taken aback, and his eyes wandered left and right for a second. “I’m…” He frowned. “I’m really sorry.” He sounded defeated at his lack of eloquence, so Magnus decided to help him out.

 

“For?” he drawled, with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Look, I’ve been preparing myself to become a Senator my whole life and I just can’t do -” A gush of impatience ran through Magnus’ body as he felt his hopes crumble once again, so he rolled his eyes and strode toward his door as Alec kept talking. “Can you just -” was all Alec said before he grabbed Magnus’ biceps, surprising them both with the intimate, firm, yet somehow gentle gesture.

 

Alec breathed heavily as he let his hand wander down Magnus’ arm, eliciting goosebumps in its trail, until he caught Magnus’ hand in his. He shot a quick look to his surroundings, just to be sure, and then his pleading hazel eyes were back on Magnus. “I didn’t mean to push you away like that,” he said with a sincerity that made Magnus’ heart go frenzied, “and I’m sorry.”

 

Magnus watched him then, his eyebrows furrowing on their own accord as he took in Alec’s words. “You’re forgiven,” he replied with a small smile to match the gentle tone he couldn’t keep out of his voice, “ and also… you’re great at apologies.”

 

Alec’s smile was the best reward Magnus could have asked for in that moment. He ducked his head and blushed. “Thank you,” he said, biting his bottom lip, “I’ve been working on it.” He stood closer to Magnus, his hazel pools burning holes inside Magnus’ skull as Alec looked at him intently.  
  
Feeling Alec’s breath against his face had Magnus’ senses almost out of control as he breathed in the attractive scent of Alec’s skin. He felt intoxicated and it was the best feeling ever.

 

_Magnus was so, so screwed._

 

And judging by Alec’s dilated pupils, he wasn’t the only one affected by their closeness.

 

Magnus’ eyes drifted lower, settling on Alec’s inviting lips and he heard Alec sucked in a breath. When their eyes met again, Magnus felt himself being pulled toward Alec by an invisible, unbeatable force, like a magnet - not that he would resist anyway, he had been waiting for this for what felt like an eternity now.

 

His lips brushed against Alec’s in a feather-like touch, and he felt like the world was on fire, electricity racing all the way through his body to his very soul. He had never felt more alive.

 

He could already taste the sweetness of Alec’s lips against his, but he needed more.

 

_Craved for more._

 

But then, laughters echoed through the corridor and the moment was broken.

 

“Damnit,” Alec cursed under his breath and Magnus giggled, patting his shoulder softly. Alec blinked a few times and leaned back, clearing his throat. “I - uh… I brought you new books,” he said with a shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and handing the objects with his other one.

 

“Thanks.” Magnus smiled and walked backwards toward his door, his eyes lingering on Alec’s flushed face as he did. “You coming in?” He giggled again at the question, his mind buzzing with unholy thoughts.

  
“Sure,” Alec said, clearly out of breath, as he followed Magnus inside his small room.  
  
They settled side by side on the bed, their shoulders brushing slightly.  
  
And if they fell asleep together after a few hours of reading, Alec’s face resting against Magnus’ chest, their arms wrapped around each other and their legs entangled, nobody needed to know.  
  
.

 

The first thing Alec noticed when he woke up was that he wasn’t alone in bed, if the welcoming warmth he felt all around him and the steady rhythm of a heartbeat he heard against his ear were anything to go by.  
  
He was about to freak out when he remembered the night before. He remembered apologizing and Magnus forgiving him. He remembered being about to kiss Magnus - and the Gods knew how much he had wanted to in that moment, how much he still wanted to, really - and laughters of people he wanted to murder interrupting them at the worst moment.

 

He let his head fall back next to a very much asleep Magnus on the bed, growling his frustration out. Feeling him shift, Magnus moved in his sleep, his arms still holding onto him tight as the gladiator rested his head against his shoulder. Alec felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips and he felt bold enough to nuzzle Magnus’ hairline with his nose, so he did.

 

That seemed enough to pull Magnus out of his slumber. “Good morning, handsome,” Magnus murmured against the clothed yet still overheated skin of his collarbone.

 

“Morning,” Alec whispered back and he felt Magnus smile against his shoulder.

 

Magnus’ head jerked up and he looked up at Alec, the first ray of sunlight reverberating in them like his eyes had captured the very essence of the sun. His beauty was blinding, even so early in the morning, and Alec had a hard time remembering how to breathe as he desperately tried not to focus on the fact that he was in another gorgeous, muscular - and very much his type - man’s bed, almost pressed from head to toes against said other man.

 

Magnus let his fingers graze over Alec’s covered chest as he fought the last remains of sleep. “How are you feeling?” he purred, never ceasing his movements and Alec gulped hard.

 

“Good. You?” He couldn’t even speak full sentences. He was too far gone.

 

“Never been better,” Magnus said as he kneeled on the bed and winked at him. “I mean… I’ve just woken up with a very handsome man in my arms, spread all over my bed. The only thing that bothers me is that you’re wearing too many clothes, but we can take care of that another time.”

 

Alec couldn’t refrain a small laugh from escaping his throat at Magnus’ description of their situation. It was absurd. “Yeah, maybe another time,” Alec mechanically answered, his cheeks coloring a dark shade of red when his brain registered his words.

 

Magnus chuckled. “I like the sound of that, darling.” He did not make any attempt at straddling Alec’s hips, although the heated gazes he sent toward Alec’s middle did nothing to help Alec’s body cool off.

 

Alec motioned to sit on the bed in front of Magnus. “Listen, Magnus, I-”

 

“Psssst, Alec?” A voice - Jace’s - echoed through Magnus’ door from the small opening in Magnus’ room that connected to the street.

 

“Jace?” Alec frowned. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Maryse and Robert are looking for you everywhere. He is dead. Luke came to the Villa to inform you of the news but you were nowhere to be found - obviously. You need to come with me back home. You need to get prepared. The ceremony is this afternoon.” Jace explained to Alec, who sat in Magnus’ bed with wide eyes and a visibly paling skin.

 

“Alexander,” Magnus called for him softly after what seemed like hours of dazing off, “you have to go.”

 

“You can’t be seen at the Ludus, buddy,” Jace added as Alec stood up, still shocked.

 

“I’m going to become a Senator? Today?” he asked both his friends, confused.

 

“Yes, my dear Alexander, congratulations,” Magnus said with a beautiful smile - that did absolutely not make Alec’s knees go weak, nope -, nodding as he straightened Alec’s toga with precise, knowing hands, eliminating the extra folds that came from sleeping so close to Magnus, “and everything is gonna be fine. Jason is gonna -”

 

“It’s Jace,” his brother growled but there was no anger in his voice.

 

“Whatever.” Magnus brushed it off with a wave of his hand. “You’re gonna be fine, Alec.”

 

“Okay,” Alec said, shaking his head. “Is there any backdoor I could use? The roof is good by night but I’m not so sure in the middle of the day…” He felt his goofy, lopsided smile spread across his face at Magnus’ quiet laugh.

 

“Come with me,” the gladiator said fondly and took his hand in his. Magnus led the way, looking at their surroundings every time they turned at a corner, until they reached a small, wooden door at the back of the dining room. “This way should be fine,” he assured him with a smile and Alec mimicked him.

 

“Thank you. For forgiving me. And the rest, obviously,” Alec said as he turned one last time to look at Magnus, whose eyes were already riveted on him and he felt himself blush. He was about to open the door and step outside when a rush of audacity made his heart leap in his chest.  
  
He leaned forward and pecked Magnus on the cheek, quickly, and the pressure barely there, but he still felt butterflies in his stomach. “See you later,” he muttered against his ear, and Magnus stood there, frozen, as Alec - now completely red from blushing - made his way out.

 

.

.

 

Jace was waiting for him on the other side of the street, leaning against a wall. They hugged to greet each other, and Jace patted Alec on the back. When they started walking, neither one of them talked at first.  
  
“So, you and Magnus, uh?” Jace eventually said, his voice trailing off as his teasing eyes met Alec’s, and he wiggled his eyebrows for good measure.  
  
Alec felt a blush creep on his cheeks and he smiled shyly, not without rolling his eyes in a not-so-convincing attempt to look annoyed first. “Nothing happened.”

 

“Yet,” Jace added with a huge smirk and Alec shot him a stern look.

 

Eventually, he conceded. “Yet.” Now his smile was genuine, wide and free.

 

Jace beamed at him, his hand gripping Alec’s shoulder and he squeezed lightly. The passersby were looking at them as if they were crazy - and maybe they were, after all. “I’m happy for you, brother.”

 

“Thanks but it’s… it’s complicated,” Alec said and his voice dropped in perfect synchronization with the movement of his eyes, as he darted them away from Jace to look at his restless fingers which were already playing with the hem of his white toga. “I - We haven’t… It’s nothing official and with me becoming a Senator, Mom and Da -”

 

“Hey, I know, Alec, I know. But it’s gonna be okay, alright? I’m - we’re - here for you, no matter what. We’ll figure it out. I’ll kidnap Magnus as we all run into exile if need be,” Jace stated with a big, genuine smile that only him could summon on his face.

 

“Thank you,” Alec whispered with a grateful grin.

 

“And you know what?” Jace said and Alec didn’t even bother shaking his head at the rhetorical question, instead waiting for his brother to go on. “Things are changing now, we just gotta help them progress faster. Our generation can change that. I truly believe in our strength and determination. It’s about time people open their minds, don’t you think? I’m pretty sure you’re not the only Senator not to be boringly straight, so maybe it’s time for someone to be brave enough to expose The Clave and their bigotry? When you’re ready, of course. We’ll be there when you need us, Alec.”

 

Alec let out a heavy breath as he processed his brother’s words.  
_  
He could do it._

 

_Someday._

 

_Soon?_

 

 _He certainly hoped so._  
  
.  
  
When they arrived at the Villa, Maryse and Robert were waiting for them, arms crossed over their chests, anger shining inside Maryse’s dark eyes. “Alec, where were you?” she asked, sharp and cold.

 

“Good morning to you too, Mother,” Alec retorted through gritted teeth as he stepped closer to his parents, “if you don’t mind, I’d like to get dressed for the ceremony.”

 

“Where were you, Alec?” she repeated, the crease on her forehead deepening as she frowned.  
  
“I’m afraid I don’t see the relevance of your question, Mother,” Alec hissed, using his physical height to help him hold his ground as he looked down at his mother, fury swirling in her eyes. They remained there for a moment, not willing to give the other the chance to take the upper hand of their quarrel by darting their eyes. Maryse eventually opened her mouth to talk, but Alec didn’t let her.  “Now, if you’ll excuse us,” he jerked his chin toward Jace, “we have to get ready for the ceremony. We certainly wouldn’t want to be late now, would we?”

 

He felt the heat of a raging fire in his chest, both from standing up to his mother, which made him equally proud and scared - the more he spoke, the more he felt his heartbeat go wild - and from his previous conversation with Jace.  
  
Standing in front of his mother reminded him of Jace’s words, of all the things that just _had_ to change soon. He was more determined than ever to make his own path, not to become his mother’s puppet at the Senate. He was willing to fight tooth and nail to make things right, to become his own person.

 

So, here he stood, breathing heavily, frowning, his hands balled into fists and twitching by his sides, and in front of him, his mother seemed both surprised and even angrier now.

 

Still scowling, she stepped away from the door and Alec wasted no time entering the atrium, Jace following right behind him. He didn’t turn back and headed straight for his quarters, where Isabelle and Max were both already sat on the bed. Their smiles, plastered across their faces, only broadened when they caught sight of him. They looked so similar in that moment, nobody could doubt they were siblings.

 

They threw themselves at him. “We’re so proud of you, big brother!” Isabelle tugged him down only to bury her face in his neck, her dark locks tickling his chin, as Max clutched onto his waist, pressing his cheek against his chest.

 

“We really are,” Max confirmed, pulling back slightly. “For both becoming a Senator today - by the Gods, that’s so cool, Alec - and for not taking Mother’s shit. That was brilliant.” Alec chuckled, as did Jace and Isabelle.

 

“You need to get ready!” Isabelle exclaimed happily, going for his clothes, carefully folded in his big leather trunk. She picked the only immaculate toga with the purple stripe - symbol of the Senators’ attire - he owned, an outfit he had never even tried, because he wasn’t supposed to wear it until that very moment.

 

“It’s really happening,” he muttered, realization striking him. He felt weird and not ready at all, now that he thought about it.

 

Isabelle beamed at his side. “It is! And you’re going to be perfect!”

 

“When isn’t he?” Jace chimed in, smirking, as Alec started to strip, leaving only his linen underwear on. Alec rolled his eyes but couldn’t refrain the lopsided smile to appear on his face.

 

“Well, he is our brother,” Max pondered with an exaggerated pout, raising a cocky eyebrow.

 

“That he is, and now he is a Senator!” Jace clapped his hands.

 

“Not yet,” Alec corrected.

 

“Soon enough,” Jace said with a dismissive gesture of his hand as he let himself fall backwards onto Alec’s bed, stretching his long limbs as Isabelle and Max helped Alec put his official attire on.

 

“You can help, you know?” Isabelle told him, her perfectly-painted red lips curling into a smile. “Seriously, Alec, how are you ever going to put this hell of a toga on on your own? It’s impossible!” she growled as she folded a part of the material, struggling to understand where it was supposed to go on Alec’s now covered body.

 

“He won’t be on his own though, Magnus will help him put it on,” Max felt the urge to reply with a teasing, knowing smirk.

 

“More like he’ll help him take it off,” Jace observed, snorting at the look Alec sent his way.

 

“You’re the worst. Both of you.” Alec gestured with his index finger between his two brothers.

 

“Stop wiggling,” Isabelle warned and Alec stilled, waiting as she made the final knot, before covering it with a new layer of white linen.

 

“Thanks,” he merely said with a small, tensed smile. “By the Gods, it’s happening.”

 

“Yes, Alec, it is.” She patted his shoulder with a gentle hand. “How do you feel about this?”

 

“Nervous,” he replied immediately, his fingers already playing with the hem of his new toga.

 

“I know what’s the best remedy for anxiety is,” Max said.  
  
“Sex?” Jace suggested and laughed. “Should we call Mag-”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Alec’s hand was against Jace’s mouth, keeping him from going further. Jace’s eyes were laughing though, and Alec just sighed, although he was clearly smiling too. “It’s time to go,” he said, and the four of them headed for the door.

 

.

 

Magnus was running around the training area when he heard Hodge call for him from across the zone, over the resonating sound of clashing swords and grunts of swordsmen. “Hey Hodge! What is it about?” he asked as he trotted closer to the lanista.

 

“You’re going down in the pit this afternoon, remember?”

 

“Yeah,” he replied, “why?”

 

Hodge smiled then. “I’m happy to tell you it’ll be your second-to-last duel before you have the chance to actually fight for your freedom.”

 

Magnus blinked a few times, not quite sure he had heard correctly. “What?”

 

That made Hodge chuckle. “Two more fights. And then, if you win, you’re a free man.”

 

Magnus’ both eyebrows shot up in perfect synchronization. “Really? Wow…” His first thought went to his mission. He was closer than ever to fulfilling his duty to his late mother. His second thoughts led him to an angelic face with beautiful, expressive hazel eyes and a clear, mesmerizing laughter.  
  
_Alexander._  
  
He felt so close and yet still so far.

 

Hodge pulled him out of his thoughts. “I should be able to tell you who you’ll be fighting against soon.”

 

“Who makes the decision?”  
  
“The citizens of Rome, The Clave. It depends.”

 

“On what?” Magnus frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“Your previous fights, your skills, your value and… your sponsor,” Hodge enumerated with the help of his fingers.

 

“Alright,” Magnus replied, bending down to grab a wooden sword abandoned in the sand by another gladiator and started playing with it with his fingers. “Tell me when you know please. In the meantime, I’ll be kicking some asses.”

 

Hodge chuckled. “You do that. I’ll see you later, Magnus.”

 

Magnus watched Hodge leave and he sighed. This news was very much welcomed. He’d be a free man soon.  
  
But it also meant he had to complete his mission before he left the Ludus to never come back. Which meant he had to hurry.

 

He sat on the sand, watching the clear blue sky of Rome as he let his wandering thoughts take over. He had never really thought about what he’d do once he’d quench the thirst for revenge he had been nurturing for years now. He had never really cared enough to think about it.

 

Yet, now that it was coming closer and closer, he felt a bit at loss. Meeting Alexander had reawakened a fire in him he thought had disappeared forever. Alec was the lighthouse guiding Magnus away from the ocean of darkness he had been sinking in for years.

 

But reefs were still unfortunately compromising the end of his travel.

 

He wondered if Alec had ever thought about them building a future together. Probably not. Alec had been so adamant in his beliefs that a Senator and a former gladiator could never make it work all those weeks that despite their almost kiss,  Magnus sometimes still felt like he was holding onto something futile and unreachable at the end of the day.  
  
Yet, there it was. That last flicker of hope, remaining hopelessly settled deep inside his heart, keeping him alive.  
  
Magnus rested his hand over his beating heart, listening to the regular thumping of it, breathing in rhythm. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on that last ounce of hope he had left in his mentally exhausted body.

 

He really wanted to make it work.

 

He remembered about the night before, when Alec had apologized to him, his hazel eyes shining with sincerity and care, the way he had invaded Magnus’ personal space and how they had almost kissed.

 

He could still feel the ghost of Alec’s pink, sweet lips against his, and he unconsciously let his fingers ran over his mouth in a gentle gesture. He licked his lips, trying to memorize the taste of Alec’s, for him to cherish forever.  
  
_That only made him crave for more_.  
  
Thinking about the way Alec had looked at him in that moment, that flicker of hope momentarily bloomed into something more, invading his mind, his body, his senses.

 

Alec might have tried to fight their connection from the moment his eyes landed on Magnus that day in the arena, when he had decided to become his sponsor, might have rejected Magnus countless times, not bothering to reply to his innuendos - even though him blushing every time had been a reward on its own - but in that moment, Alec’s heart had won over his brain.  
  
Or at least, that’s what Magnus dared to hope.  
  
He thought about waking up pressed against Alec in the morning and the playful, intimate banter that had followed. He remembered Alec kissing his cheek as he said goodbye to him, before he left to take his future in hands.  
  


The skin of his cheek was still tickling, still hot from the contact and Magnus felt like a teenager again.

 

For a second, he thought of Camille and frowned, shaking the memory away with a movement of his head.  
  
He would not be thinking about Camille when he could think about his dear Alexander instead.

 

He still didn’t understand how Alexander had managed to do it, make his way into Magnus’ heart, which he was sure he had sealed, refusing to love and be let down again. Yet there he was, with his kind smile and big hazel eyes, devouring Magnus in the best way possible.

 

For some reason, Magnus had known from the very start Alexander would not be another Camille. Maybe that’s why his walls had all crumbled down one after the other, letting Alec in.

 

He didn’t regret it for a second.

 

“Magnus?” he heard Ragnor call for him. “Are you okay?”

 

Magnus’ eyes darted to the side to find Ragnor looking down at him from where he was standing. “I’m fine,” he merely replied with a small smile. “I just needed to think.”

 

Ragnor nodded. “We just talked to Hodge. Looks like we’re all gonna fight for our freedom soon,” he said as he went to sit next to Magnus, ”this is my last fight apparently. If I win tomorrow, I’ll be free as a bird.”

 

“That’s great, Ragnor!” Magnus exclaimed with a grin. “I’m happy for you. What about Raphael?”

 

“Got two more fights,” Raphael announced as he sat in front of them, three drinks in his hands. “And then, that’s it. I’m finally out of this hell.”

 

Ragnor’s fingers lingered a bit on Raphael’s as he grabbed his drink, squeezing lightly. “We’re thinking about travelling a bit. We’ve made a lot of money with the fights and our sponsors are willing to give us some. Catarina would like to come with us. What about you, Magnus?”

 

Both his friends were looking at him, waiting for his answer, and Magnus sighed.”That would be wonderful but I can’t -”

 

“Is this because of your so-called ‘mission’?” Raphael growled and Magnus frowned. “Seriously, Magnus, you -”

 

“Raph,” Ragnor said, “this is not our decision to make. Magnus,” he added, turning to face him, “you’re welcome to join us on our trip.”

 

“Thanks, Ragnor,” Magnus replied, “but this is not about my mission. I mean, it kind of is, but it’s mostly about the future and about…” He trailed off, shrugging with a smile.

 

“Alec.”

 

“Yes,” he breathed out, still grinning. “I’ve been thinking, and I would really like to build a future with Alec, if that’s what he wants too.”

 

“Magnus, the man looks at you like you’re some kind of God, like Apollon or I don’t know, it’s frankly disgusting,” Raphael chimed in, “of course that’s what he wants too.”

 

Magnus’ smile only broadened at Raphael’s comment. “You’re just jealous because Alec and I would make a hotter couple than you and Ragnor. We’re disgustingly cute.” Raphael grunted and Magnus laughed. “Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I’d like to know Alec’s opinion about what’s next for us. Know what he wants.”

 

Ragnor smiled. “Alright. I’m happy for you, Magnus.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Raphael finished his drink and looked at Magnus, his voice serious and low as he spoke. “Just one question, Magnus: does he know about that mission of yours?”

 

Magnus swallowed. “He doesn’t.”

 

Raphael shot him a stern look. “And why is that?”

 

“I -”, Magnus started, “We just never talked about it.”

 

“Look, Magnus,” Ragnor intervened, “it’s okay if you don’t want to tell us, but you should tell Alec. He has a right to know.”

 

Magnus sighed. “I know.” He brought his knees to his chin, circling his arms around his legs. “I just don’t know where to start.”

 

“I don’t want to force you to tell us, but maybe we could help you, you know?”

 

Magnus let Ragnor’s words sink in for a moment. He had been fighting so hard to keep it a secret, but now he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could tell his friends who had been nothing but supportive of him even though he had kept them out of the loop.

 

He took a deep breath, trying to find and muster enough strength to start.

 

“Alright, I’ll tell you.”

 

So he did. He told them everything they needed to know to understand where he came from and what was the plan he had been building and waiting to carry out since he was young. He tried to talk as accurately as possible, revealing details about his life he thought he’d never tell anymore.

 

His youth, his mother’s murder, his thirst for revenge, his travels across the world, the mission he had given himself.  
  
Everything he had endured.

  
His friends remained silent as he talked, sometimes looking at each other with worry written all over their faces, taking in Magnus’ every word and waited for him to finish to comment on it.

 

“So yeah… that’s it.” he finished, bringing his glass to his lips and taking two large gulps.

 

He waited for a few seconds, dreading his friends’ reactions.

 

“You have to tell him,” Raphael deadpanned, his eyes boring into Magnus.

 

“Yes, you do,” Ragnor acquiesced, “Magnus, wow… I’m sorry,” he said, visibly at loss for something better to tell him now that they knew Magnus’ life.

 

“Me too,” was all Magnus said as he rested his head on his folded forearms.

 

“I understand now,” Ragnor said, looking thoughtful, “why he attacked you in the pit. He is a sick bastard. I can’t believe he did all that and went unpunished.”

 

“You should have told me sooner, I’d have ended his worthless life when I fought against him two weeks ago,” Raphael hissed.

 

Magnus chuckled darkly. “Thanks, but I’d rather do that myself.”

 

“Still, this is dangerous, Magnus. He is highly skilled and -”

 

“I’m better than him,” Magnus stated, leaving no room for discussion. “And as much as I appreciate your concern, guys, I made up my mind two decades ago. I’m not backing away now. You can’t talk me out of it.”

 

“We know that. But I’m holding onto the idea that Alec can,” Ragnor admitted, his small smile not enough to hide the worry sparkling in his eyes. “Tell him.”

 

Although Magnus disagreed on the first point - he couldn’t be reasoned with, no matter how hard they would try - he allowed himself to agree on the second point. “I will.”

  
.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, what did you like? What didn't you?
> 
> Please tell me everything!  
> Your reviews help me be a better writer, so they're very welcomed <3
> 
> I'll try to finish and upload the third chapter quickly, but I can't really promise anything sadly...
> 
> Thanks again for your amazing support! xoxo


	3. Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To get what one's want, one has to fight, both literally and figuratively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> This is it.
> 
> The final chapter!
> 
> I want to thank you all for going on this crazy ride with me, for all the kudos, comments, bookmarks and hits! You guys are amazing!
> 
> Once again, I'd like to thank Lu (lecrit aka The Queen) for beta-ing and supporting me from the very beginning to the end <3
> 
> /!\Trigger warning:/!\ blood & violence at some point.
> 
> Please, enjoy!

When Alec arrived at the Curia Iulia - the building of the Senate - everyone was already waiting for him. He swallowed, his eyes drifting left and right, registering the amount of people who had come to see him ascend and become part of the most respected institution of the Roman Republic. He felt suddenly extremely self-aware, ridiculously small and insecure.

 

He stepped in and his eyes found Clary’s and Simon’s, who were smiling at him from their seats in the tribune. Senate sessions were open to the public, which was why his friends - who were not patricians, and even less Senators - were allowed in the building. He smiled at them and Simon gave him two thumb-ups to encourage him. He rolled his eyes and if he smiled, he would never admit it.

 

Maryse and Robert went to stand on the right side of the room, formed by a circular pit, much like the Coliseum, and Alec felt like a gladiator entering the arena for the first time. 

  
He let his mind wander to the Ludus, pictures of Magnus smirking with confidence rushing through his mind, and he used them to ground himself and breathe a little easier.    
  
_ He could do this. _   
  
Jace, Izzy and Max stood by his side as he made his way toward the assembly of Senators. Eventually, Izzy kissed his cheek, muttering a ‘good luck’ for only him to hear, Jace squeezed his shoulder and Max patted his back in encouragement, and he was left standing alone in the middle of the impressive room, all eyes riveted on him.

 

“Alexander Lux Lignum,” Luke was the one to talk and Alec let out a relieved breath, “you stand here today, in front of the Gods, to pledge your unswerving loyalty to the Republic of Rome.”

 

Alec listened as Luke talked, silence stretching in the room. “The late Senator Caius Regulus was a prominent member of The Clave and has left a great void here, at the Senate, for he was a force to be reckoned with, and his voice a rock for all Senators to hold onto. He spoke of truth and justice. His unwavering will to bring the best to our Republic will not be forgotten.” There was a wave of nods among the Senators. “Umbras venamus.”

 

_ We chase the shadows. _   
  
The Clave and Senate’s motto.

 

“Umbras venamus,” everyone in the room echoed, their expressions solemn.

 

“Now, Alec,” Luke resumed and Alec wanted to smile at the use of his shortened name during an official ceremony, but he figured out Luke had done it to make him more at ease, “as you know, when a Senator dies, several contenders are named to take his place. We, at the Senate, watched over the contenders’ studies and actions.”

 

“You stand here today, because there were only three names revealed to take Caius Regulus’ place. Yours, Marcus’ and Sebastian’s. Valentine’s son.” Alec’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Considering the traitorous actions of his father, the latter was dismissed, making it a duel between you and Marcus. I have been elected by the Clave to keep an eye on both your studies. It appears that you were much more willing to learn about History and Philosophy than he ever was. Hence your presence here today.”

 

Alec felt a wave of pride flowing through his body, and he resisted the temptation to smile widely.    
  
He nodded instead, concealing his joy by biting his bottom lip. 

 

That was it. 

 

The moment he had both dreaded and awaited for months now. 

 

Standing in front of all the Senators, his family and most of his friends watching him as he waited for Luke to just say the words, was both extremely exhilarating and twice as nerve-wracking. He thought about Magnus once again to calm his nerves, and he was surprised of how effective it was.

 

He wished Magnus could have come to see him. He was the person he wanted most to be by his side at this moment, along with his siblings.   
  
_ But he couldn’t.  _

  
Because he was not a free man. And because it would be too obvious.   
  
If Alec was willing to take a chance and make it work with Magnus, he’d have to be smart about it. He couldn’t rush things.

 

Although he really, really wanted to kiss those inviting lips, if he was being honest. Kiss Magnus in front of the whole Clave and make his statement.

 

“Alexander Lux Lignum,” Luke pulled Alec out his thoughts, his voice low and solemn, “you are hereby declared an effective member of the Senate of Rome. May you always follow the right path. You may now pledge on the Sword of Justice.” He extended his hand in direction of aforementioned Sword, inviting Alec to approach it.

 

Alec grabbed the handle of the Sword with shaking hands. He swallowed, and his eyes wandered across the room. Most Senators looked impassive, by contrast with his friends and siblings, who looked ecstatic. Simon and Clary were holding hands, smiling from ear-to-ear and Clary even brought a finger to her cheek to wipe off a lonely tear.

 

Izzy was hugging both Jace and Max, and all three of them were watching their brother with eyes full of pride, admiration and joy. Alec just wanted the ceremony to end so he could hug them and thank them for always supporting him.

 

Maryse and Robert looked proud as well, but Alec didn’t let his eyes linger for too long on his parents.

 

Instead, he looked down at the Sword, focusing on his next words. “I, Alexander Lux Lignum,” he started, trying to steady his quivering voice, “pledge my unswerving loyalty to the Gods, Justice and Law. I vow to always defend the best interests of the people of the Republic of Rome. I shall not take any decision that benefits a corrupt interest, nor shall I do anything that puts a part of the population aside. I shall be fair, tolerant and I shall defend my moral principles.” 

 

He took a deep breath. “I shall accept the decisions of the majority of this Assembly. I shall defend what I believe is good and I shall respect the word of the Gods. Umbras venamus.” 

 

Luke nodded and Alec released the Sword. He chewed on his already abused bottom lip as he waited for a sign, a reaction. Eventually, Luke approached him. “Welcome, Senator Alexander,” he said and winked at him.

 

Alec smiled and let the words sink in. It was done.   
  
He was a Senator, a representative of the Roman people in front of the Gods.

 

He felt suddenly very hot. “Thank you,” he muttered back and Luke smiled proudly at him.

 

“Come, you have to introduce yourself to the whole Senate. It’s the worst part of the ceremony, I’m sorry,” he said with a chuckle and Alec followed.

 

He met all the Senators and exchanged a few words with each and every one of them. It was enough to know where they stood by in regards of  Law and Justice. He cringed at some of them, smiled at others. 

 

It was also a good way to gauge whether or not he could start and carry out his project soon.

 

He’d have to fight, but he’d do it.   
  
He’d do it for him, for Magnus and for all the people suffering from these prejudices and restrictions in the Roman territory. 

 

When the ceremony ended, Alec still hadn’t been able to see his siblings. Which was why he nearly ran to them when he caught sight of them, standing just outside the building, talking animatedly with Luke, Simon and Clary, all of them smiling.

 

He grabbed Isabelle first and hugged her from behind. “Alec!” she exclaimed, turning in his arms to hug him properly. “That was amazing! You,” she stressed, pulling away a bit to see his face, “were amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

 

“We all are,” Jace said and Alec was soon in the middle of a group hug, surrounded by Izzy, Jace, Max, Simon and Clary. 

 

“You were very good,” Luke agreed, and Alec smiled awkwardly at him from the middle of the embrace. “You’ll make a great Senator, and an even better man, Alec.”

 

“Thank you, Luke.” Alec smiled widely. “For everything.”

 

“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” He waved goodbye at the little group and disappeared into the crowd of the Forum.

 

“How are you feeling?” Max asked as he unwrapped his arms from around Alec’s waist.

 

“Overwhelmed. A good overwhelmed,” Alec confessed with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve realized what just happened though.”

 

“You’ve become a Senator, that’s what happened. And you’re going to be extremely good at it. Just, don’t let Mother and Father use you.” 

 

“I won’t,” Alec promised. 

 

“Good. Now… I think there might be somewhere you’d like to go, am I right?” He smirked and Alec pushed a hand against his brother’s face, earning a disapproving growl, followed by a laughter.

 

“Where did my lovely little brother go?” Alec said with a pout.

 

“He is still there. You’re just too easy to tease.” He winked and Alec chuckled. “Now go.” Alec nodded, saying goodbye to his friends.

 

“Say ‘hello’ to Magnus for us!” Isabelle shouted as he walked away from them, “and when you return, I want all the details!” She smirked in a way that reminded Alec of Jace and Max. They really were an infernal trio.

 

Jace grimaced. “Pretty sure I don’t want all the details. Gross.” Alec chuckled and Isabelle poking the blonde in the ribs was the last thing Alec saw before he turned around the corner, heading to the Ludus.

 

.

 

Alec strode all the way to the Ludus. He was still wearing his formal outfit but he really didn’t want to change. He would either ask Magnus for training clothes or they would just read books in Magnus’ room.

 

When he arrived, he didn’t even bother knocking on the door, just opened it and found the room empty. He frowned and figured Magnus was probably training. He headed toward the area, greeting the few gladiators he met on his way.

 

“Magnus?” he called when he saw him sitting at the edge of the training area, his gaze visibly lost into space, his back pressed against a column. He was absentmindedly playing with a wooden spear, swinging it around. When he didn’t respond, he tried again. “Magnus? Hey,” he said, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder and Magnus jerked toward him, his eyes meeting Alec’s.

 

“Hi,” Magnus said in a breath, “sorry… I didn’t hear you come.” He smiled weakly and Alec had the feeling something was off. He didn’t comment on it for now, he wanted to see if Magnus would tell him on his own.

 

“It’s alright.” 

 

“How was the ceremony?” Magnus eyed him up and down and Alec would have flushed if his cheek weren’t already red from how fast he had walked to the Ludus. 

 

“It went well. I’m officially a Senator now,” Alec said and Magnus’ smile grew more genuine.

 

“Congratulations, Alexander,” he whispered and Alec could swear he saw Magnus’ eyes flash lower, and then back up into Alec’s.

 

“Are you okay?” he finally asked, because clearly, Magnus was trying to think about anything but the thing that was bothering him. 

 

“I’m fine, darling,” Magnus muttered but he darted his eyes away and it was enough for Alec to place a finger under Magnus’ chin and lift his head in order for Magnus to look at him. 

 

“You’re not, Magnus,” he countered, “tell me what’s wrong.” His voice was soft and pleading. When Magnus remained silent, his eyes unable to focus on a single thing, Alec stood up and took Magnus’ hand in his. “Come on. We’re going to your room.”

 

He pulled Magnus to his feet and together, they made their way toward Magnus’ bedroom, Alec’s hand never leaving Magnus’.

 

He laced their fingers tighter once they were in the safety of Magnus’ four walls. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he demanded gently as he kneeled in front of Magnus, who was now sat on his bed. 

 

“It’s just…” Magnus tried and inhaled sharply, “I’m afraid you’re going to hate me for this.”

 

“Magnus,” Alec took Magnus’ face in his hands, his eyes boring into his, just to be sure Magnus would believe him, “I could never hate you.” 

 

Magnus sucked in a breath. “I don’t know how to tell you this.” He smiled sadly. “It really shouldn’t be so hard… I told Ragnor and Raphael earlier today. But it’s different with you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because you could make a difference.”

 

.

 

Magnus looked as Alec’s eyes widened. “A difference?” the Senator asked and Magnus nodded, holding back a sob.

 

He hated how vulnerable he looked and sounded. But this was Alec in front of him and Magnus was about to reveal his life to him. He was afraid he’d be disappointed, that he’d leave him as well.   
  
_ Alec is not like that, you idiot _ , he kept repeating himself in his head but there was still this voice that made his insecurities emerge that was trying to mess with his mind, and he felt like he was suffocating. 

 

He had been thinking about this all afternoon, even during the fight he had easily won in the arena. Ragnor was hoping Alec could help Magnus change his hind, and maybe he had been right. Thinking about the purpose of his life, he would have answered his revenge with no hesitation whatsoever a few months ago… Now, he was torn between seeking justice for his mother’s death and thinking about a future with Alec, free from his blood obsession.

 

He ran a hand over his tired features, only to meet Alec’s eyes a second later. Alec started stroking his knee then, and Magnus gulped hard. “I wasn’t randomly captured and sent to Rome as a gladiator. It was all part of my plan.” 

 

“Your plan?” Alec’s eyebrows shot up, curiosity and confusion swirling in his eyes.

 

“A plan I’ve been working on since I was nine,” Magnus confessed and took a deep breath. “I was born a slave, in the East of the Roman Empire. My mother was from far beyond the Roman borders, and she was a merchant, along with her husband, travelling across the continents, until they were captured by Romans soldiers. Her husband was killed because he tried to escape, and she became a slave.”

 

Alec was listening to him attentively and it appeared he would not interrupt Magnus, so he went on. “The Roman general, Asmodeus, took her in and after a few years, they had an affair. And so, I was conceived.” He set his hand over Alec’s and let his thumb stroke the other man’s fingers. “The thing is… my father wasn’t the very loving type of guy. When he found out she was pregnant with me, he stopped their affair and made her work twice as hard as before.”

 

Alec frowned and gritted his teeth. “And so I was born in my father’s villa in the East. My father tried to drown me when I was 5 but I think my mother talked him out of it. Instead, he decided I would be useful and I became a slave myself. I think she managed to reason with him because he took her in his bed once again, careful this time not to get her pregnant with another child. He just wanted to use her body both during days and nights.”

 

A single tear escaped his eyes. “She managed to hold onto life for four years, but she was barely alive. She became weak and she looked like a ghost.” He squeezed his eyes shut, more tears falling, but he felt the warmth of Alec’s thumb wipe them away. “Until one day, Valentine came to visit his friend, my father.” Every word tasted bitter on his tongue. 

 

Alec couldn’t help but open his mouth. “Valentine? The ex-Senator?”

 

“That one, yeah,” Magnus said. “He came to the East and at some point, asked something of my mother - I’ve never known what exactly but you can guess - and when my mother refused, he fetched a whip and used it on her.” The painful memories were threatening to drown him now. “I watched him kill her. There was nothing I could do. I was too weak.” He gritted his teeth.

 

“So, during the night, I escaped. I ran away on my own. I was nine years old.” Alec brought their intertwined hands to his mouth and kissed the back of Magnus’ hand, his thumb circling his skin in soothing gestures. “I went even further in the East. I was on my own, travelling across the world, and I learned to stand up for myself. I grew stronger, and vowed I’d avenge my late mother someday. I swore that I’d come to Rome and kill that sick bastard.”

 

“There was a time when I thought that maybe I could put all this behind me. I was sixteen and I had just fallen in love with a girl.” He waited for Alec’s reaction, but his expression was open. He was waiting for Magnus to continue. “Her name was Camille. She was as beautiful as she was manipulative and cruel, but of course, I didn’t know that at the beginning. She made me believe I could be loved, only to throw me away when she found better marrying material. She cheated on me and left me behind, reminding me that I had no one. So my quest of revenge became my number one priority again, and I decided to close my heart to the very possibility of love.” 

 

He huffed a breath, looking up in a flash and when his eyes met Alec’s again, he poured all his affection and gratefulness for the boy in his stare. Alec squeezed his hand and smiled at him in return, and Magnus found himself breathing a little bit easier.

 

“A few months ago, I came back to my father’s villa. He was still in post in the East, and I cut his throat after I was sure he had recognized me. I won’t say I was pleased to kill someone. But I couldn’t resist,” he confessed. “This man ruined my life and my mother’s. He was a sick bastard. I don’t regret it. Does that make me a monster too?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed, tears shining in his eyes.

 

“No,” Alec shook his head and looked at him fondly, “no, it doesn’t.” 

 

Magnus smiled through his tears. “Roman soldiers were quick to arrive at my father’s, and when they were about to execute me, I demanded to be brought to Rome, and become a gladiator. This way I was closer to Valentine. I’d just have to win all my fights in the arena and I’d walk as a free man again, only to assassinate that pig in his sleep.” He finished and he felt some tension leave his body for a second, but then he met Alec’s eyes again, and it all came rushing back, strangling his lungs.

 

Alec remained silent for a while, his eyes roaming over Magnus’ face and Magnus wanted to cry.

 

_ That’s it. He thinks I’m a monster. _

 

_ He’s going to leave me. _

 

After a moment that seemed to last an eternity, Alec stood up and sat on the bed, tugging Magnus closer as his arms wrapped around him, bringing him comfort and reassurance. Alec kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry you had to go through all this.” His right hand was stroking his arm and Magnus sobbed freely at Alec’s display of affection.

 

“So,” he resumed, “I arrived here with the firm intention to fulfil that mission, and the Gods made it even easier by throwing Valentine in the pit as well.”

 

“And what about now?” Alec finally asked, muttering his question against his ear. “Do you still want to carry it out?”

 

“I thought I did,” Magnus confessed in a broken whisper and turned in Alec’s arms to face him, “up until this evening. But now I’m not so sure anymore.”

 

“Why doubt now?” Alec frowned and then raised an eyebrow.

 

“I think you know,” Magnus eluded, a small smile tugging at his lips as he took Alec’s eyes in, shock written all over his features.

 

Alec blinked a few times, his mouth agape. “Really?”

 

“Yes,” Magnus nodded and leaned closer to Alec. “It’s because of you, Alexander.” His smile broadened. 

 

Alec tightened his grip on Magnus’ body. “Is it a bad thing?”

 

“Making me doubt? I still don’t know.” Magnus nuzzled against Alec’s neck. “But it’s a start.”

 

“Magnus,” Alec said, pulling back just to see his eyes, “I don’t know what to say… I-” he trailed off, leaning forward on impulse, and pressing his lips against Magnus’.

 

Magnus was taken aback for a moment, until his mind registered and he let himself melt against Alec’ lips, pulling him closer. “Always so eloquent, Mister Senator.” He smiled and dived forward, claiming Alec’s lips with his own once more. Alec grinned into the kiss and Magnus’ mind went wild.

 

He moaned against Alec’s mouth when the other man sucked delicately, albeit quite eagerly - how was it even possible? - on his bottom lip, changing the angle.

 

It felt like every single fiber of Magnus’ body was on fire, the taste of Alec’s lips against his own simply divine. Their bodies were now flushed together, Alec hovering over Magnus in the bed, balancing his weight on his elbows, resting on either sides of Magnus’ head.

 

Magnus’ right hand had somehow found its way up to Alec’s jaw, and it caressed the smooth, ivory skin there, as the other was firmly gripping the folded material of his Senator’s toga. 

 

They kept kissing like their lives depended on it, Magnus punctuating their heavy making out session with uncontrollable thrusts of his hips against Alec’s, who moaned and grunted against his lips in reward.

 

At some point, Alec pulled away for air and Magnus aimed for his neck, kissing and sucking on the sensitive skin there, eliciting goosebumps and a flow of throaty curses from Alec. One of Alec’s hand went to tug gently at Magnus’ hair and Magnus took the hint, leaning his head back, thus giving Alec a better access to his now exposed neck.

 

Alec kissed him again on the mouth, open and passionate and then went lower, letting a wet trail on his way down to Magnus’ Adam’s apple. When he reached it, he licked it and Magnus let out a loud moan. He would have been embarrassed if it hadn’t felt so good.

 

Right now he didn’t care.

 

Alec kept worshipping his neck and jawline, basking in Magnus’ everlasting flow of mixed praising words and curses, until Magnus tugged him away gently, his hands stroking the nape of his hair. “We should probably stop there for tonight.” He didn’t even know why and how he was saying this.

 

“Don’t you want to -”

 

“Oh, there is nothing I’d like more, my dear, trust me,”  Magnus said, pecking Alec’s nose, “but it’s probably better if we take it slow.” He sat on the bed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. I sound like the reasonable one.” He huffed out a laugh and Alec leaned forward to kiss his mouth in a quick kiss.

 

“How the tables have turned.” Alec smiled as he and Magnus settled on Magnus’ bed, hugging tightly, Magnus’ body draped over Alec’s. They kissed slowly and tenderly, until sleep embraced them.   
  
.   
  
When Alec stirred out of the sleep the next morning, he had never felt so light and content. His mind was still floating in a state of complete bliss, and it was totally due to the warm, muscular body pressed against his in a tiny bed.   
  
He fluttered his eyes fully open and was met with a beautiful pair of dark brown eyes, stains of gold and lighter shades of brown scattered into them. He smiled lazily. “Hi,” he croaked out, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

 

“Good morning, my darling,” Magnus purred, burying his face in the crook of Alec’s neck, nuzzling the sensitive skin there and Alec let out a soft breathe at the contact. “Have you slept well?”

 

“Best night of my life,” Alec moaned - actually moaned, oh by the Gods! - surrendering completely to the feeling of Magnus’ mouth against his neck, peppering his skin with gentle touches of his sinful lips.

 

“Well, your previous lovers must have sucked, and not in the good way,” Magnus chuckled and Alec froze against him, darting his widening eyes away from Magnus. Magnus frowned as he noticed the sudden change of emotions in Alec’s eyes. “Alexander?” 

 

Alec pulled away and sat on the bed as Magnus did the same, his brows still knitted together in confusion. Alec started to rub his arm nervously. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out and he felt so ashamed, the feeling strangling his throat. 

 

“Alexander, just so I’m clear… Have you ever been in a relationship?” Magnus asked the question Alec had been dreading ever since he started hoping he and Magnus could be together.

 

Alec licked his lip, trying to find something to answer. Anything.   
  
_ No, I’ve never been in a relationship. _

 

_ You’re my first. _ __   
__   
_ I had never kissed anyone until last night. _ __   
_   
_ __ I never thought I could find someone to love me back.

 

But his throat and mouth were completely dry and his mind struggled to even look at Magnus as helplessness invaded his already panicking mind. He gulped hard, unable to form a sentence, each passing second worst that the one before.   
  
His eyes locked with Magnus just as realization struck the other man and his eyes widened. Alec closed his eyes straight away. “Alexander,” Magnus tried, shock clear in his voice, “was I - was last night… your first kiss?” he stuttered and Alec felt his cheek flush so hard it burnt.   
  
He licked his lips repeatedly, scratching the back of his head in a weird attempt at calming himself. “Yes,” he blurted out and he felt his whole body stiffen as he let the word escape his lips. 

 

After a few seconds of surprise, Magnus smiled. “Well, you’re a natural.” He winked and Alec blushed harder, if that was even possible.

 

He felt his body relax, ever so slightly, but he was still extremely ill-at-ease with the whole conversation. “Look, you wanna know why I’ve never been in a relationship?” Alec asked, looking down at his restless hands. “Because of this.” He pointed at the street of Rome visible from the small opening in the wall and then at his Senator attire, sighing. “Because I didn’t want to think there was something wrong with me. Because I grew up with conservative parents.” He took a deep breath, mustering the strength to admit one last reason. “Because I always knew I couldn’t have what I wanted… until you came along.” 

 

He looked up and met Magnus’ gentle, reassuring, wondering eyes. “Nothing is wrong with you. Far from it,” Magnus stated but Alec wasn’t convinced and Magnus noticed it. He reached for Alec’s hand but stopped himself before he actually touched him, so Alec met him halfway, lacing their fingers together. “You’re just…” He didn’t finish, his expression turning amused. “I was gonna say innocent,” he chuckled, “but considering last night, that may not be the most accurate word.” 

 

Alec felt himself smile at Magnus’ words, and there was a warmth settling deep inside his heart as he looked at their intertwined hands. “I don’t want you to treat me any different,” he said, sighing.

 

“But you’re different,” Magnus replied and Alec was about to speak but Magnus didn’t let him. “And it’s a good thing.” 

 

Alec never liked being the center of attention, so when Magnus’ eyes found his once again, pouring all his care in his gaze, he had to turn the conversation around. “What about you? You must have had lots of lovers?”

 

Magnus huffed. “What do you mean?”

 

Alec gave him a pointed look. “You know what I mean.” He didn’t mean it as a blame or a judgmental question, he was genuinely interested in knowing how inexperienced he was compared to Magnus, even if it hurt to realize he would not know enough to please Magnus in all the right ways.

 

“Look, Alexander, I’ve moved around the world. A lot. I’ve been with men and women, from all horizons. Maybe a Greek God or two…”

 

“How many?” 

 

Magnus’ eyes went wide. “How many?” he repeated and went silent for what seemed like an eternity. “17.”

 

“17?” Alec said and Magnus was looking at him, scared it would be too much. It made Alec think. Yes, he was inexperienced. Yes, Magnus was too good for him. Yes, he still had a hard time believing it was real. But it was. And Alec didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be happy, to truly be happy. Not this time.   
  
Plus, he had already kissed Magnus the night before, and he never wanted to stop. So he resumed talking. “Well, okay.” 

 

Magnus blinked a few times, clearly a bit taken aback. “Okay?”

 

Alec leaning a bit closer, his knee bumping into Magnus’ thigh. “Look, Magnus, I don’t care how many people you’ve been with.”

 

“I don’t care how many people you haven’t been with,” Magnus mimicked, an easy, grateful smile settling on his features.

 

Alec smiled back, and closed the distance between them once again, his hand moving up to cup Magnus’ sharp jawline as their mouths molded together in a slow, tender kiss. Alec poured everything he had, every emotion he was feeling in the way he kissed Magnus’ bottom lip, before surrendering completely to Magnus’ skilled mouth, moaning before opening his lips to deepen the kiss.

 

When they pulled away, Magnus’ eyes were shining with something definitely stronger than simple care and Alec felt butterflies in his stomach. “I hear that, um, relationships take effort.”

 

Magnus shook his head slightly, his swollen lips curling up. “I’m all for effort.” 

 

“That makes two of us,” Alec muttered against Magnus’ lips before he attacked them again.

 

.   
  
Magnus felt like the happiest man of the known world when he found himself laying in bed next to Alec, both looking at the ceiling, half an hour later. He was completely breathless, his kiss-swollen lips and the still extremely sensitive, burning skin of his neck reminding him of the heavy make-out session he and Alec had just abandoned themselves to.

 

He had been so surprised when Alec had told him he had never been in a relationship, nor been kissed, before last night, because Alec was everything a man could ever ask for. And after the surprise had come the doubt and the fear that he wasn’t good enough for the Senator, that maybe Alec had high expectations Magnus could never truly fulfill.   
  
The worst moment had been when Alec had asked him about his past lovers. He had really feared that Alec would leave his room as soon as the number would have crossed his lips. But he didn’t. He accepted who Magnus was and Magnus had never felt so relieved, grateful and  _ in love _ .

 

_ Yes, Magnus Bane had fallen hard for the beautiful soul and generous person that was Alexander Lux Lignum. _

 

Now, he just felt happier than he had never been, and his revenge had never felt so distant, so wrong, so useless.

Alec rolled over slightly, hovering over Magnus, the material of his toga tickling Magnus’ neck. “Gotta go to the Senate,” he said with reluctance.

 

“I know, you’re an important man.” Magnus winked as his hand found its way to Alec’s neck and then to the black, silky strands of hair, pulling Alec against him, their lips meeting in a gentle yet passionate kiss. “But you’re really, really good at kissing.”

 

A kiss that turned into more, and more, and more, until Alec had to give a final pull, standing up from the bed. “I really have to go,” he half-chuckled, half-warned, when Magnus circled his waist with his arms, feeling no shame in showering Alec with affection, as he kissed the clothed skin of Alec’s stomach, feeling the strong abs there. 

 

“Magnus,” Alec breathed out and Magnus smiled wickedly. 

 

“You should go.” Magnus shrugged, smirking as he let go of Alec, who groaned. 

 

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” Alec said, before he composed himself, and blushed, realizing his last actions and reactions.

 

Magnus winked at him again. “And you’re gonna be late.”

 

“And whose fault is that?” 

 

Magnus simply shrugged, his smirk still plastered on his face, and got up, readjusting the folds of Alec’s toga. He pecked Alec’s lips. “I love being able to do this.” Another kiss. “But you should really go. People are going to get up soon. I’ll take you to the back door.” He whispered against Alec’s lips as he took his hand in his.

 

When they reached the door, Alec turned around, just like he had the last time they had been standing there, but instead of a kiss on the cheek - which had already done so much to ease Magnus’ mood and mind - he kissed him full on the mouth as Magnus melted into the kiss, giving everything he had in return. “See you later,” Alec said, out of breath, before he let go of Magnus’ hand and disappeared through the door as Magnus told him goodbye.

 

.

 

After that tender night and the even sweeter, more liberating morning that ensued, Magnus barely saw Alec for two weeks. He had won his last fight in the arena. The next one would be him fighting for his freedom. 

 

He was training in the patio, swinging the wooden sword he held skillfully, cutting through the air with sharp, accurate movements and his usual elegance. He frowned as he concentrated, and felt some droplets of sweat running all the way down his forehead to his chin. 

 

“Hi, Magnus.” He turned around to see Isabelle standing across the area, waving her hand at him and he stopped training, lowering his sword and she approached him, a big smile shining on her face. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m alright. I’m ready for my fight.” 

 

“When is it?” 

 

“In three days. But Hodge still hasn’t told me who I’ll be fighting against,” Magnus replied with a dismissive shrug. “Not that I really care anymore.”

 

“Anything to do with Valentine?” she asked for him only to hear. “I figured you guys knew each other from the day he arrived.”

 

“You’ve always been too smart for your own good, Isabelle. That, and your sense of fashion is too good to stay in Rome all your life. You should go East. People are so better dressed where I come from.” He winked and she giggled.   
  
“I’ll think about it. But I agree nobody rocks the black kohl like you do.” 

 

“Why, thank you, darling.” He smiled as he dropped the sword in the armory. “So, how is Alexander?” he asked, trying to appear innocent, but Isabelle was not fooled, and she smiled wickedly, raising a cocky eyebrow.

 

“He’s alright. A bit tired, because of all the paperwork and meetings at the Senate, but he is already great at it, Luke has told me. Not that I’m surprised.” Isabelle’s eyes were shining with pride and adoration. “But he misses you,” she admitted and Magnus’ heart looped in his chest.

 

“He does?”

 

“Oh for Jupiter’s sake, Magnus, of course he does!” she exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. “That idiot won’t say it out loud, but he is head over heels for you.”

 

Magnus grinned so big it hurt. “Well, I like him too,” he joked, and Isabelle laughed.

 

“Sure, ‘like’ is the right word to use.”

 

“Exactly,” he winked at her and she shook her head. “Is there anything I can do to help him through these hard weeks of work?” he taunted with a smirk.

 

She cocked a playful eyebrow. “I think you have an idea. Especially since he came to me to ask abouuu -,” she started and then stopped herself abruptly,” nevermind.” 

 

Magnus was curious now. “About what?” He had a pretty good idea but he was still excited to hear it out loud. “Isabelle!”

 

“Nope! Not telling you.”

 

“You already said too much,” Magnus deadpanned.

 

“Still not telling you. I shouldn’t even have started that sentence to begin with.” Isabelle crossed her arms over her chest.

 

“Yet you did!” Magnus exclaimed, and then pouted, “come on, Isabelle!”

 

“Nope,” she drawled out, her lips shaped in a perfect ‘o’.

 

“You’re such a tease.”

 

“So are you, from what my brother told me.” She winked. “And yes, I’m the kind of sister who asks for details - not all of them of course, but the best ones.” Magnus laughed at that.

 

“So, have you come here only to tease me?” Magnus stuck his tongue out at her, because he was a responsible, mature adult.

 

“Maybe,” she began, a mischievous glint dancing in her big brown eyes, “I should go, Catarina is waiting for me to return.” She winked one last time, the smirk never leaving her face as she walked back toward the infirmary, and Magnus was now too distracted by what she had implied to think about training.

 

.   
  
Alec’s heart was pounding against his ribcage, the breeze caressing his reddened face ashe ran through the crowded streets of Rome. He had discarded his Senator toga after the late afternoon meeting and had opted for a simple burgundy tunic, which was infinitely more comfortable to move around.   
  
People knew him now that he had made his first public apparition with the rest of the Senate, pledging once again his faith to the Republic and introducing himself and his principles. Which was probably why people stared at him like he had gone crazy every time he dodged people and carts, oblivious to the curses sent his way.

 

He reached the Ludus by nightfall, the pink-orange light bathing the building in a magical, almost ethereal atmosphere. He passed by Hodge, who was looking somewhat unpleased, and greeted him, not dwelling on the frown on the blond man’s face.    
  
He strode through open corridors with determination, jogging from time to time. He hadn’t seen Magnus in days because of the Senate and all the appointments he had gone through because of his new position, and he was slowly becoming crazy.   
  
_ He needed to see Magnus. _   
  
Especially because Isabelle had talked to him everyday and had assured him Alec’s absence had the same effect on Magnus’ brain. Plus, Magnus’ fight for his freedom was tomorrow and Alec just craved the feeling of holding Magnus against him before this life-changing event happened.   
  
When he reached Magnus’ door, he knocked quickly and didn’t bother waiting for an answer, entering the small room. Magnus was sitting on his bed, his legs folded against his chest, his arms wrapped around his knees as he looked through the small hole in his wall, his eyes shining with something Alec couldn’t quite recognize.

 

Magnus turned his head as Alec settled on the bed next to him, on his right. “Hi,” he muttered as he untangled his limbs, reaching closer. 

 

“Are you alright?” Alec couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

 

Magnus sighed, which was not a good sign. “I don’t really know.” He rested his head against Alec’s shoulder and Alec took the opportunity to kiss Magnus’ hair, earning a flash of a smile from the gladiator in reward. “Hodge told me who I’d fight against tomorrow,” he added, looking back toward the street.

 

Alec frowned. “Who is it?” He thought about the possibilities really quickly before he understood. “Oh.” 

 

“Yeah,” Magnus let out, “Valentine.” 

 

Alec wrapped his arm around Magnus, tugging him closer, his fingers stroking up and down the length of Magnus’ biceps, offering him the silent comfort he knew Magnus needed. He remained silent for a moment, the only noise coming from the merchants roaming the street with their goods. Eventually, he voiced his concerns and questions out loud. “Are you still after your revenge?”

 

He felt Magnus’ breath catch in his throat as his whole body tensed against Alec’s. He tightened his grip on Magnus. “I - I don’t know,” he stuttered, “I don’t know what I want anymore.” He reached for Alec’s hand, looking straight into Alec’s eyes. “Except for you. You’re the only thing I know I don’t want to let go of.”

 

Alec smiled, soft and unguarded, as he leaned in to kiss Magnus’ lips, and he felt Magnus’ melt into the motion, dragging a moan from him. Alec knew Magnus needed time to pour his heart out, so he just waited, nuzzling against his shoulder and neck, worshipping the exposed skin there with care. 

 

“You’ll figure it out. I know it. You’ll make the right choice,” Alec whispered against his jawline, feeling how his hot breath sent chills through Magnus’ heated body. 

 

Magnus smiled and then let out a breath. “Alexander,” he croaked, his voice husky and his mouth dry. 

 

“Hmmm?” Alec nuzzled against his neck, perfectly aware of how Magnus’ body reacted to his ministrations.    
  
Alec felt ready.   
  
_ He wanted Magnus. _   
  
He wanted this beautiful, wonderful, complex man that was Magnus. He wanted his soul, his body, his extravagant, smart, uncanny mind.    
  
But most of all, he wanted him to be  _ free _ .

 

“You’re gonna be free tomorrow,” he breathed out as he pulled back, his hazel eyes finding Magnus’ darker ones, and he smiled when he saw the way Magnus was looking at him, full of affection and love - definitely love, and Alec’s breath almost caught in his throat.

 

“I’ll definitely fight to make it happen, my Alexander,” Magnus replied, quiet and soft, as he leaned forward to capture Alec’s lips with his own once more. “But I think my heart and mind already found their peace. Thanks to you.” His stare was so intense, so bright, Alec couldn’t help but smile at him, pouring all his feelings into the next kiss.

 

After some time, Alec broke their kiss to stand, extending a hand for Magnus to take. “Come with me,” he simply said and Magnus looked at him, visibly puzzled. Alec’s grin widened. “You’ll like it, don’t worry.”

 

“Are you kidnapping me, Alexander? Are we running away from Rome together to never look back and build a life somewhere else and live happily ever after?” Magnus half- joked, talf-teased as he grabbed Alec’s hand.

 

Alec’s arm slipped around Magnus’ waist as the gladiator took hold of his shoulders with both his hands, and Alec chuckled, pecking Magnus’ lips. “I wish.”

 

Magnus pouted. “So, where are we going?”

 

“Somewhere you’ve never been in the Ludus. But you’re tensed and I think it might help you relax.” Alec thought back to Max’s and Jace’s remark that sex was the best way to release tension, and he fought back a smile, to no avail.   
  
Magnus noticed. “What are you smiling about?” he asked with a raised, playful eyebrow.

 

“Nothing,” he lied, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue, “actually, not nothing. But you’ll discover that soon enough.” 

 

“Playing mysterious, aren’t we, Alexander? I like it.” 

 

Alec shook his head fondly, the smile never leaving his face as he dragged Magnus out of his room and across the peristylium. “Why are we going toward Hodge’s quarters? I’m not sure I’m ready to share you with anyo-”

 

Alec laughed quietly and cut him off with a finger against his lips as he shushed him quiet. “We don’t want to wake him up.” 

 

Magnus narrowed his eyes, a smirk creeping up and the settling on his face when he understood Alec’s intentions. His mouth opened in the perfect shape of a ‘o’ and he raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure, Alexander?”

 

“I am,” Alec merely replied with a frank nod, confidence lacing in his voice as they entered the room Alec had chosen for them.

 

They were standing in Hodge’s private therms, more precisely in the warm room.

 

“My family and I are used to going to the therms when we’ve had a stressful day or are going to have one. I thought that maybe you could use a hot bath.”   
  
.   
  
Listening to Alec, Magnus wanted to cry. Never had Magnus met anyone so intent in having him feel good. Never had anyone taken such great care of his needs. He felt overwhelmed. It was a good, welcomed feeling.

 

“Thank you, darling,” he replied, eyebrows knitted together, gratefulness printed all over his face, and he approached Alec, his hands finding his broad shoulders as he caressed him up to his neck and face, cupping his jaw gently, the smile easily taking place on his face. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, both inside and out. You’re just… such a beautiful soul.” He could feel butterflies in his stomach.

 

“Magnus,” Alec trailed off, his hands stroking against Magnus’ clothed hips, and he felt the hot skin of Alec’s hot hands find their way under his tunic, tugging the material up. 

 

Magnus reached out on instinct, stilling Alec’s gestures as he looked at him straight in the eyes. “Are you completely sure? I don’t want you to feel forced to do this.”

 

Alec’s lips were only inches away from Magnus as he spoke again, his eyes locked on Magnus, shining with sincerity. “I want this, Magnus. More than I’ve ever wanted anything. The question now is: do you want this too?” He laced their fingers together.

 

“Alexander,” Magnus’ whispered, and the name felt like a caress on his tongue, “if it’s my last night in this world, I’d like nothing more than to spend it with you.”

 

“It won’t be your last nigh-” Alec immediatly answered, but Magnus didn’t let him finish, aiming for Alec’s lips, and he heard Alec whimper when they molded together, Alec’s arms wrapping around his waist as Magnus’ reached for the silky material of Alec’s clothing, pulling at it with the firm intent to put it off Alec’s body.

 

Magnus’ tunic was the first piece of clothing to go and Alec’s mouth opened on its own accord, making Magnus’ chuckle. Alec had already seen him shirtless several times, but he had the same expression of awe and lust on his face every time and Magnus would never complain.

 

He helped Alec get rid of his own tunic, and when the immaculate material fell on the floor, Magnus’ laugh died in his throat and his jaw dropped. Alec bare-chested was a sight to behold and he felt blessed by the Gods for being able to touch him. He ran his fingers over the thin layer of dark hairs on his chest, lingering on the perfect curves his abs, all the way down to the V of his hips, playing with the hem of his linen underwear, completely and utterly in awe.

 

“You’re so handsome,” Magnus was able to croak as he kissed Alec’s collarbone, eliciting a moan from the younger man.

 

“Look who - who’s talking,” Alec replied in a breathy laugh, clearly affected. He walked backwards, closer to the edge of the basin. “Off,” he added before kissing Magnus, pulling at the last piece of clothing Magnus was wearing.

 

Magnus let go of Alec’s lips, his hands hovering over Alec’s, guiding him to discard him of his underwear. He then stood completely bare in front of the Senator. “Like what you see?” he teased as he watched Alec lick his lips, his eyes wide and darkening by the second at the sight of Magnus’ naked body.

 

“You’re still overdressed, darling”, Magnus remarked as he took a step into the bath, finding a good spot to sit and enjoy the warm water. At that, Alec seemed to come back to reality, looking down at his underwear and making a quick job at removing it.

 

_ Alec wasn’t the only one to like what he was seeing. _

 

Magnus let out a content sigh. “Can’t believe I’ve met my first Roman god. I mean, look at you.” He was entirely under the warm water, safe for his head, as Alec took his place in the basin to join him, kneeling so their faces were on the same level.

 

“Shut up,” Alec muttered against his lips, smiling widely and attacking his lips in a bruising, passionate kiss. Magnus’ head was spinning, floating in a sea of bliss he had never thought he could reach.    
  
His hands found their way around Alec’s neck, all the way to his hair, and tugged at it. 

 

Magnus was sitting on the tiled floor of the bath, his back against the edge, Alec straddling him as he kissed him eagerly, their bodies pressed together as much as possible.

 

It was like a primal need, that necessity to feel Alec’s heated skin against his.    
  
The water splashing around them was hot, but it was nothing in comparison to the fire that was blazing inside Magnus, threatening to make him combust, and there was nothing he could do to fight it. Actually, he’d gladly let that flame consume him.

 

Because that flame was Alec.

 

Alec had ignited Magnus’ body and mind, bringing him back to live. For that, he was forever grateful. But kissing and holding that man, that bright light who had saved him, Magnus felt incredibly blessed.

 

Alec kissed his nose then. “Thank you, Magnus.” 

 

Magnus blinked.  _ Shouldn’t he be the one to thank Alec for saving him? _

 

.   
  
Alec had never felt more grateful he had met anyone. He loved his friends, and there was no words strong enough to describe how much he loved and cared for his siblings, but Magnus was something else entirely.

 

He had found light in Magnus when he had felt in his worst moment; when his parents had announced him he was to become a Senator. Alec had always thought he could never be truly happy, always closed off, keeping secrets, in order to protect himself.   
  
Even to his siblings he had lied by telling them he had had an adventure with a girl, so they wouldn’t think he had zero love and sex experience.

 

But with Magnus, he had had the confirmation that his feelings were completely natural. He was a closeted man, but he couldn’t bear the sound of it anymore. He wanted to stop hiding. 

 

And Magnus was giving him the strength to do that. 

 

Which was why he was so grateful. He had to say it.

 

So he did.

 

Magnus looked so confused in that moment, Alec wanted to kiss away the crease between his eyebrows. “Thank you,” he repeated, holding Magnus’ unsure gaze with the firm intention to convince him of his sincerity.

 

Magnus smiled, eyes filling with tears, making his eyes shine like the night sky. “Thank  _ you _ , Alexander. You saved me.” 

 

“We saved each other.” 

 

Their next kisses were slower, love pouring out in their quiet praises and loud moans, worshipping each other’s body as the water offered them physical comfort. 

 

“I need you, Magnus,” Alec breathed against Magnus’ earlobe, nibbling at it gently, “It’s just… I don’t know how…”   
  
“Shhhh,” Magnus’ head dropped against Alec’s pulsepoint, sucking and leaving a mark. He kissed the abused skin and his mouth caressed all the way up until it found Alec’s again, fusing their lips together. “I’ll make you feel good.”

 

“That should be the other way around.” Alec’s voice was husky. “I should take care of you.” 

 

Magnus shook his head fondly, locking his gaze with Alec’s, “If you feel good, I feel good. Besides, I want you to enjoy yourself. You can be in charge another time.”

 

“What happened to ‘if it’s my last night in this world’?” Alec teased, clearly out of breath as Magnus’ lips travelled down to his chest, closing around his right nipple. 

 

Magnus looked up at him with a smirk. “Are you kidding?” He didn’t sound much better, his voice raspy and low. “Now that I’ve touched an actual god, I’m invincible. Isn’t it how it works in Rome?”

 

Alec half-laughed, half-moaned as Magnus licked his way down his abs, under the water. When he resurfaced, he was smirking. “Stop looking so smug.”

 

Magnus leaned in, his mouth hovering over Alec’s as his hand reached for his dark strands of hair. “Make me,” he teased, his lips a feathery touch against Alec’s and he felt the gears click in Alec’s head as his hazel eyes turned almost black and he brought Magnus’ body even closer, their lips meeting in a heated kiss.

 

.

 

“That was…” Alec said as Magnus untangled himself lazily from him, sitting next to him in the water. Alec brought his arm around Magnus who rested his head on his shoulder, Magnus’ hand drawing patterns on Alec’s chest absentmindedly. 

 

Magnus smiled brightly, his chest rising and falling heavily. “Amazing.”

 

“I - eh… yeah, you were amazing,” Alec stuttered. He had been alright, he guessed, but he still had so much to learn. He wanted to know everything about Magnus’ body, to make him feel good. “I was just awkward.”

 

Magnus pecked his lips. “You can’t expect yourself be perfect on your first time, Alexander. But you were much better than I was.” He chuckled. “You were great, my dear. But soon it’ll be perfect.” 

 

“Soon?” Alec raised a playful eyebrow. “So you want more of that awkward guy,” he gestured at himself, “not knowing what he is doing, in your bed?”

 

Magnus’ smirk mirrored Alec’s as he captured his lips once again. “I’m not sure… Maybe he has a way to convince me?” 

 

Alec laughed and pulled Magnus back on his lap. He thrust his hips up, and Magnus threw his head back. “I can think of something, yeah.”

 

“Hmmm, sounds perfect,” Magnus purred, sucking on Alec’s neck. 

 

They remained there, bathing in each other’s embrace, sharing kisses for what seemed like an eternity. Like Time itself had frozen for them.

 

“We should probably go to sleep. You need your strength tomorrow,” Alec said as he pressed his lips against Magnus’ forehead. 

 

“Alexander, I -,” Magnus started but thought better than to finish his sentence and Alec frowned for a second, wondering what he had been about to say. “Will you be there to see me fight tomorrow?” Magnus asked, tightening his grip on Alec’s waist.

 

“Of course, Magnus. I want to be there when you walk free,” Alec replied, smiling softly as their eyes met. He laced their fingers together.

 

Magnus smiled back. “You’re right,” he acquiesced, looking down at their intertwined hands, “we should probably go to bed.” 

 

.   
  
The crowd was cheering in the Coliseum as Magnus warmed up for his upcoming fight. Another duel was taking place in the arena and he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

 

Alec had had to go back to his family in the morning but he had promised Magnus he’d come see him before he entered the pit. His fingers played nervously with the handle of his dagger as he waited in the outside corridor, just at the corner of grid. He was looking at the high ceiling of the building, his eyes riveted on a crack in the stone, until he saw something move at the corner of his eyes.    
  
Thinking it was Alec, he turned his head, only to be met with Hodge waving at him from afar, dragging Valentine to the other side of the Coliseum.

 

Magnus inhaled sharply. He had been waiting for this moment all his life, and now he wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. He had already killed his own father to avenge his mother’s murder, and now that he had found happiness again with Alec, the whole concept of revenge seemed futile.

 

He tried to remember the face of his mother, but he couldn’t. Over the years, the only memories rooted in Magnus’ brain were blurry and incoherent. He had even forgotten what her voice and laugh sounded like. 

 

She probably wouldn’t have wanted him to have this life. The life of a lost child who had grown into a killing machine with what had seemed an unquenchable thirst for blood and revenge.   
  
Oh, how Magnus wished she had met Alec. She would have loved him; his kindness, his clever mind, his bluntness, the way his eyes lit up whenever he talked about his siblings, about the stars or about History, philosophy and literature.    
  
But then again, Magnus pondered, he would never have met Alec if his mother was still alive. A wave of sorrow washed over him. It was weird, how the saddest part of his life had managed in time to help him find the happiest one. 

 

Were his mother alive, they would still be slaves. Or maybe Magnus’ father would have killed him so Magnus couldn’t overthrow him and save his mother. Maybe she would have succumbed to illness or exhaustion a few years later.    
  
Maybe it was fate.   
  
It was like every single moment of his life had led him to Rome.   
  
_ To Alexander. _   
  


Magnus had never believed in fate, but, now that he was waiting for his fight against Valentine, in front of the Gods - whoever they were - to face their judgment, maybe it was indeed all part of a plan.

 

He couldn’t choose how he should feel about this, thinking he could merely be a pawn in a bigger scheme, but if it meant he’d keep Alexander by his side his whole life, he could definitely live with it.   
  


He thought about the fight. He would been in the pit soon, fighting for his freedom. Hodge had assured him that these fights weren’t to death, because there was too much money involved, and people wanted to see the loser of this fight win his freedom another day. 

 

Yet, Magnus was pretty sure Valentine would do everything in his power to kill him. Magnus still hadn’t decided. If he had no other choice, he’d do it for sure, but there was a little voice in his mind telling him that maybe killing Valentine wasn’t worth it anymore.

 

“Hi,” Alec’s familiar, soft voice came from beside him and Magnus’ eyes found his immediately. He was smiling. “How are you?” he asked as he reduced the distance between them, leaving only a few inches for good measure, and because anybody could see them.

 

He knew Alec intended to come out to the Senate and his parents, but Magnus wouldn’t push him into doing it before he was ready. So he let Alec set the pace.

 

“I’m good,” he grinned back but Alec didn’t seemed fooled.    
  
Instead, he reached for Magnus’ agitated hand, still toying with the leather covering his dagger, and laced their fingers together, his eyes darting left and right for a second before they settled back onto Magnus’ face. “Don’t lie to me, Magnus,” he whispered, and there was only care and concern in his voice, “you’re nervous, and you have every right to be.”

 

Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand, silently thanking him. “Stop being so good at reading me,” he replied and a lopsided smile formed on Alec’s beautiful features.

 

“I can’t help it.” Alec’s smile broadened. He licked his lips before speaking again. “I’ll come and find you here at the end of your fight, when you’re free.” 

 

Magnus huffed at Alec’s adorable faith in Magnus’ abilities. “ _ If _ I’m free, you mean,” Magnus tried. He couldn’t underestimate Valentine’s skills and madness. 

 

“I know you’re gonna win, so I’m gonna stick with when,” Alec leaned in, his lips hovering over Magnus, and his eyes drifted lower before they focused back on Magnus’ dark pools.

 

With a quick movement, Magnus chastely pressed his lips against Alec’s, pulling back a second later, but that peck was enough to give him the strength to face one last fight. “Thanks for being here.”

 

“Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” Alec confessed quietly, as if they were surrounded by a crowd of people and he wanted only Magnus to hear him, and Magnus felt his lips curl up, his heart beating faster as he took in Alec’s gorgeous face.

 

Magnus was about to kiss him again when the horn resonated across the corridor and he swallowed hard, Alec’s eyes momentarily distracted by his bobbing Adam’s apple. He chuckled and Alec blushed slightly, smiling. “I’ll see you later. I could say ‘good luck’, but you won’t need it, so I’ll just -” He didn’t finish his sentence, pecking Magnus one last time quickly and grinned when his eyes found Magnus’ again and Magnus’ heart fluttered in his chest. “I’ll be waiting for you here.” 

 

Magnus smiled softly. “Thank you, Alexander. I’ll see you in a few.” 

 

He observed Alec’s retreating form until he disappeared in the curve of the building, and he let out a deep breath. “You got this, Magnus,” he muttered under his breath, trying to muster all his determination and to chase away his insecurities.

 

Closing his eyes, he pictured Alec’s easy smile for a brief moment and opened them again. He then walked around the corner only to be met with two guards, who opened the gate for him, and stepped into the arena, the sand pliant under his feet as he took steady steps, the sunlight a warm caress against his skin. 

 

The cheering of the crowd was even louder now that both opponents had entered the pit, and Magnus would have smiled hearing his name being chanted by some of the spectators if he had been about to fight anyone else.

 

He rolled his shoulders and arms, hopped a few times to set his mind on the swordfight, checked the buckles of the leather stripes of his arm protector and then made his way toward the center, swinging his spear around in a swift motion.

 

Hodge was waiting for them in the middle of the arena, his whole body turned toward the Clave and prompted both Magnus and Valentine to do the same when they reached him, before he took a step back, the crowd’s attention now completely upon the two fighters.

 

The Coliseum grew quiet as members of the Senate and the Clave stood up, their grave stares riveted upon Magnus and his adversary, and he looked right back at them, putting on the usual confident, bold mask on his face.

 

“Numinibus libertas vincetur.”

 

_ Freedom is won by divine powers. _

 

Hodge had told him he was to quote this sentence to the Clave right before his last fight, so Magnus did, and both his and Valentine’s irritating voice echoed through the whole area. Eventually, the Senators nodded and Magnus caught sight of Alec on the side of the group, and he smiled at him. He gave a sharp nod, so that Alec would understand he was ready to show everyone watching him he’d been the one to leave the arena as a free man.

 

Alec was staring right back at him, his mouth curled up in a reassuring smile but Magnus could discern the tightness in the way his lips pressed together and the concern in his eyes. Alec might have been sure Magnus was going to win, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried Magnus might be hurt badly during the duel.

 

Next to him, Magnus recognized Isabelle and Jace, who were talking to a teenager that looked so much like Isabelle and Alec that Magnus had no doubt they were related. Their little group extended to a red-headed girl and an happily agitated young man.    
  
Yet, Alec’s attention was only on him, and warmth blossomed in Magnus’ heart.

 

He winked at Alec before slipping his helmet on, turning to face his opponent.

 

Magnus was wearing the attire of a hoplomachus. Hodge had chosen that for him because he knew Magnus wanted to move around, so he couldn’t have a big, heavy shield. Plus, Magnus liked spears.   
  
His weapons were a spear in his right hand, and a dagger that he held with his left one, the small, round shield - a hoplon - strapped to his left forearm. Both his legs were covered with metal greave -  which were thankfully light enough for him to move freely - and his right arm was protected from blows by a leather armor called a manica. He had also made sure the belt keeping the loincloth in place around his hips was not too cumbersome either.

 

Valentine, on the other hand, was heavily armed, carrying around a large, square shield with his left arm and a short sword with his right hand. He was dressed as a thraex, minus the helmet, because Valentine never bothered to take one, with his heavy metal greaves and the arm protector buckled around his sword arm up to the shoulder.

 

Magnus wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off Valentine’s face as they started circling each other, waiting for the right moment to launch themselves forward and for the fight to begin. 

 

The crowd was probably cheering but Magnus couldn’t hear them. Couldn’t hear anything but the rhythmical thump of his heart in his ribcage. It was deafening. He readjusted his fingers around the shaft of his spear, tightening his grip as his feet moved at the same pace as Valentine, keeping his distance.   
  
Gauging Valentine’s stance, Magnus prepared his counter-attack. Valentine may be a very lethal opponent, but Magnus had studied his fighting tactics countless times and after a while, everybody could notice he was quite predictable. It was in the little hints he scattered every now and then, in the way his eyes squint and held his weapon, and how he angled his feet. That and the slight tilt of his head, his wicked smile broadening just a tad when he thought he had found a weakness.

 

The thing was, Magnus had deliberately showed a weak point to entice Valentine.    
  
Valentine propelled himself forward, his shield held slightly behind as he ran, madness sparkling in his dark eyes, his sword not completely extended toward Magnus yet. Magnus didn’t move, just placed himself on his tiptoes and waited for the right moment.

 

When Valentine was close enough, Magnus used his flexibility to duck and dodge the hard blow, the other man cutting through the air. That left enough time for Magnus to swirl on his knees, away from Valentine and hit him on the shoulder with the wooden end of his spear as he stood up smoothly.

 

Valentine grunted both in pain and in anger, and turned to face Magnus, who was taking advantage of that brief period of distraction to dive into the fight with his spear drawn out and his hoplon clutched against his chest to protect his heart, just in case.

 

The older man was quick enough to meet the spear with his blade, and used his strength to put it out of the way, leaving Magnus with only his dagger and his small shield. Magnus launched himself toward his spear, fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to do much harm with his small dagger, but couldn’t reach it before Valentine struck him with his shield, and Magnus was sent flying a few meters away.

 

Magnus cursed under his breath and spat on the sand, using his now empty hand to wipe the blood off his lips. He was kneeling, using his shield arm to balance himself as he waited, stunned, for the nauseous feeling in his head to fade. He was about to get up when a hand grabbed at his hair and pushed it backwards, a icy blade finding its way against Magnus’ throat. 

 

He felt Valentine’s sickening breath against his ear. “Now you’re gonna die like your mother, you dog.”

 

Magnus gritted his teeth at the words and his eyes found Alec’s. His eyes were wide open, and he was standing in the middle of the crowd, his hands balled into fists. He seemed so desperate to reach out for Magnus, to help him. 

 

At the sight of Alec’s furrowed eyebrows from afar, Magnus felt the adrenaline flow through his veins, igniting his senses and putting his body into action. When Valentine was about to cut his throat, he planted his dagger in Valentine’s knee, resting in the sand next to Magnus’, and when the other cried in pain, losing control of the blade for a second as his muscles contracted, Magnus ducked, rolled over and pushed his left foot into Valentine’s groin.

 

He felt something hot on his neck.   
  
_ Blood. _

 

He ran a shaking hand just below his Adam’s apple as he rushed to his spear, and used his loincloth to clean the red liquid off of it. Thankfully the cut wasn’t deep so he wouldn’t be bleeding to death.  _ How convenient. _

 

He grabbed his spear and when he faced his opponent again, he was standing up, his breathing heavy and his eyes filled with pure fury. He was resting most of his weight on his untouched leg, and Magnus knew he could use it at his advantage. 

 

Moving swiftly, he still kept a safe distance as he analyzed Valentine’s general posture. He would not let his guard down like he had down earlier, which almost resulted in him getting killed. He had to be more careful and he mostly had to be the one to attack, instead of just defending himself.

 

Narrowing his eyes, Magnus decided it was time he finished the fight. He’d have to be quick, and it was his only shot. It had to work.   
  
He crossed the arena so Valentine wouldn’t reach him anytime soon with his injured leg, and removed his helmet, a wave of surprise washing over the crowd. He then took off his greaves, and went for his manica, before he reconsidered his thoughts and left it around his arm.

 

Valentine was eyeing him curiously, his trademark, wicked smirk plastered across his face, his yellow teeth shining and his eyes cruel. Magnus was pretty sure he even heard him laugh loudly, like a madman.

 

Magnus squeezed his eyes shut, that laughter bringing memories back inside his mind that he wanted to keep buried. For a second, all Magnus could think about once more was his revenge, and how much he wanted to kill the monster in front of him.

  
But then, light chased the darkness away.   
__   
__ Alexander.   
  
His smile, his laughter, his gorgeous eyes and his cunning mind. Everything came rushing into his mind, and Magnus smiled softly as he opened his eyes once again.

 

Valentine was approaching him, limping slightly but Magnus realized the rage and adrenaline coursing through his veins probably reduced the physical pain the man was in. Magnus moved forward, meeting him halfway, jogging. 

 

Valentine assaulted him first, his sword piercing the air and clashed against Magnus’ shield as Magnus kneeled to have access to Valentine’s side, aiming for the ribs with his spear. When the end of his weapon cut through the pale flesh of his opponent, the latter struck back by thrusting his sword forward, toward Magnus’ chest and heart.   
  
Magnus only had the time to move so that his shoulder took the blow instead. The pain was agonizing as the small blade sliced deeper and deeper into his body, and Magnus’ first reflex was to kick Valentine in the genitals with every bit of strength he had left.

 

Valentine let out a loud cry filled with hatred as he fell on one knee. Magnus took advantage of the moment, tugging the square, heavy shield away from Valentine’s arm. He discarded himself from his spear and other weapons, and in a fit of rage, seeing the man he hated with every fiber of his being, the man who had haunted his nights, lived in his nightmares and made his life a quest for revenge, he took a better, tighter hold of his opponent’s shield and struck him violently in the face.

 

Valentine fell backwards, the back of his face hitting the sand as Magnus dropped the shield, his hands balled into fists. He grabbed his spear and straddled the man’s chest, his weapon hover over the man’s face, his hand shaking uncontrollably as he took in the bloody, broken nose and the toothy grin Valentine sported.

 

Magnus’ eyes widened when the man laughed like a maniac, madness swirling inside his dark eyes as blood kept streaming down his nose to his chin. “Do it!” he spat, drops of blood splashing out of his mouth and across his face. “Or are you weak like your dear little mom?” Magnus clenched his jaw, his heartbeat getting frenzied at the mention of his mother. “At least she was useful in bed when I made her scream like the little whore she was the night before I killed her. Oh how I loved hearing her cry in pain as I whipped her to death...” 

 

Pure fury invaded Magnus’ senses, spreading across his whole body and his knuckles went white against the shaft of his spear. This monster was playing with his mind and Magnus didn’t know why he hesitated. He had wanted this for so long, it had been his sole reason to keep going. 

 

He was about to let Valentine win when he lifted his head up and turned it around, out of the blue, scanning the crowd until he found his salvation.    
  
He couldn’t see the look on Alec’s face from this distance but just knowing he was here, watching his every move was enough for Magnus to retreat.

 

Punching Valentine straight in the nose for good measure, he threw his spear to the side, the sound of it crashing against the sand muffled by the white noise buzzing inside Magnus’ head. He got up in a blur, nausea taking over, the throbbing pain of his shoulder and the sight of his reddened hand which was pressed against his injured limb only increasing his giddiness.

 

It seemed there a moment of silence across the arena, everyone holding their breaths has Magnus stood tall over Valentine, who was still too stunned to get up and when Magnus eventually looked up toward the Clave, he was met with perfectly synchronized nods. 

 

A black man with gentle features and the charisma of a born leader spoke up. “Magnus Bane, you have led an impressive fight today. The Gods have spoken. You are now free to go and become a citizen of Rome.” 

 

Magnus nodded, his hand leaving his wound as he reached for his spear, and held it up, the crowd cheering and whistling and going wild at the simple gesture. He still felt a bit dizzy, but the ovation he got from the crowd when he was just an outsider who had come to Rome to pursue a mission he didn’t want to fulfil anymore, when he was no one but someone to offer them entertainment, sent warmth spreading across his body.

 

The gate opened suddenly and Magnus just had enough time to turn around to realize Alec was running toward him in his maroon tunic. He had never looked so much in a hurry and he only decelerate a bit before he crashed against Magnus, lips instantly covering his own. 

 

Magnus didn’t even feel the pain at the impact and his eyes grew wide, his lips unmoving for a moment before he let himself go and kissed Alec back passionately.

 

At that moment, Magnus didn’t even care about the prying eyes from the people gathered in the Coliseum for a whole other show, yet he heard the loud gasp that Alec’s bold move had elicited. 

 

A Senator and a gladiator, making out in the middle of the big amphitheater of Rome, in front of thousands of Roman citizens, and especially in front of the entire assembly of Senators.

 

Alec pulled away, his eyes fluttering open as his hand caressed Magnus’ neck where the shallow cut contrasted with his bronze skin. He rested his forehead against Magnus. “Let’s get you out of here,” he whispered and was about to speak again when they heard someone move behind them.

 

Magnus attempted to turn around and face who he knew was attacking them but he hissed in pain when his shoulder ached and he saw Alec grab his spear, the metallic sound of blades clashing together echoing in the arena a second later.

 

Alec used his body to shield Magnus, holding the spear with dexterity as Valentine renewed his assault, blood still drying around his smirking mouth. He had never looked so wicked. Magnus wanted to help Alec, but it seemed like he couldn’t now that the adrenaline had left his whole body hurting and Alec looked like he had everything under control.   
  
Magnus’ mind briefly thought of their nights spent exchanging blows and he couldn’t refrain the smile from spreading across his face when he saw Alec dodge a strike like Magnus had taught him to do, kicking Valentine in the sternum as retaliation. The older man fell once again onto the ground as the guards finally arrived, arresting him and making him kneel in front of the members of the Clave.

 

As soon as Alec was done with the fight, he dropped the weapon and rushed by Magnus’ side, sliding an arm under his good shoulder and leaning against his jaw. “It’s alright, I got you. I got you.” 

 

Magnus smiled weakly at Alec’s words. He knew he’d be safe with Alec. His life wasn’t in danger, but his injuries seemed to become less and less bearable as time passed. The white noise and his heartbeat were still pounding in his ears as he caught some parts of the speech the charismatic Senator was delivering, like “assault against an effective Senator”, “hereby sentenced to death”.

 

Those were the last words Magnus heard before the pain and the dizziness became too much, unconsciousness swallowing him whole.   
  
.

 

“Alec, what have you done?” Maryse’s cold, angry voice resonated across the infirmary of the Ludus as she entered the room. 

 

Alec was sitting next to a still very much unconscious Magnus as Isabelle took care of his injuries. It was the second time he was there, waiting for his gladiator to wake up after a difficult fight. Twice because of Valentine.

 

He gritted his teeth at his mother’s question. He had acted on impulse. Magnus was free. Magnus was going to live and Alec was going to fight for them.   
  
His lips had been on Magnus’ before he could process what was happening. Not that he regretted it. Actually, it had probably been the best decision of his life. Or the second one, the decision only being topped by the one he took all those months ago to become Magnus’ official sponsor in the arena.

 

When he lifted his eyes to meet hers, he sent her a stern look. He was tired and angry, and all he wanted was for Magnus to heal and recover quickly. He didn’t want to see his mother lashing out on him in the same room Magnus was resting.

 

He stood up and approached her with measured steps, his eyes looking down at her when he was close enough. “Outside,” he hissed and circled her around, heading toward the corridor.

 

“Alec,” she called out when they were far enough from Magnus. He turned around and she took a step back, eyes widening as she took Alec’s gaze in, before she regained her composure. “What you’ve done in the arena -”

 

“I should have done long ago,” he stated through gritted teeth, his eyes boring into hers as he held his ground.

 

She let out a gasp, her brows furrowed. “I don’t even recognize you anymore.” 

 

“I’m the same person I’ve always been,” he started, “now everything is just out in the open. I’m fed up with you monitoring my life. Dad may be your puppet and speak on your behalf in front of the Senate, but I’m not and I won’t. I’m my own person and yes, I’m gay. And I’m proud of who I am.”

 

“Al -”

 

“No!” he blurted, “you don’t get to talk. You just listen to what I have to say. You’ve always treated me - us - like we’re not good enough. We are your children. Izzy, Max, Jace and I. We are who we are and you cannot change that. You have to accept us as we are, or you will lose us all,” he finished, his eyes unwavering as he gauged her expression.

 

Maryse was looking at him, visibly unable to speak for a while. Eventually, she realized he was done talking and she looked down, her fingers fumbling with the material of her silky dress. It was the moment his father chose to appear by his mother’s side. “The Senate won’t like your affair with some gladiator,” she retorted as she lifted her eyes up once again, deadpan.

 

“His name is Magnus,” Alec gritted out, his eyes darting from his mother’s to his father’s and back. “And I suggest you show him some respect. He is more deserving of consideration than half the citizens of Rome, if not more. Actually, he is more deserving that everyone within the Roman territory,” he decided, “and I don’t care what the Senate thinks. I haven’t broken my vows. But if dealing with two men loving each other is too much for a group of old, bigoted men, then I’m out. I don’t want to be part of this.”

 

Maryse and Robert’s mouths were both hanging open. “Loving?” Robert asked.

 

“Yes, Father. Loving. Love,” Alec replied, “I’m in love with this wonderful man.” He couldn’t believe he was confessing this to his parents before he had even had time to say the three little words to Magnus. But it felt right to say them out loud, especially because his parents’ faces were priceless, and Alec felt a wave of pride wash over him. ”Now, if you’d excuse me, he is recovering from his injuries and I’d rather be by his side than fight with you. Goodbye.”

 

And with that, he left his parents behind and closed the door carefully behind him.   
  
.

 

Magnus gradually felt himself stir away from darkness. His eyes fluttered open and then closed again as bright lights attacked them. He waited a bit before he tried again, only to be met with Alec’s face hovering above his. “Hi,” he greeted sleepily, feeling an easy smile settle on his face.   
  
“Hi,” Alec replied softly, bending down to kiss his forehead, “how are you feeling?”

 

“Like I’ve walked all the way into the underworld to meet Pluto, and I mean no offence. He was nice,” Magnus tried to joke and Alec chuckled, shaking his head. He held up his head to drink the glass of water Alec was handing him, and tried to straighten up on the bed but the jabbing pain in his shoulder hit him once again and he gritted his teeth, hissing quietly. 

 

Alec gently pushed  against his other shoulder, his thumb drawing soothing circles on his skin. “You should rest.”

 

“Why do I feel like we’ve already had this conversation?” 

 

“Because you seem to have a habit of getting injured and falling unconscious in my arms,” Alec deadpanned but his growing smile betrayed him.

 

“Well, you do have nice arms,” Magnus smirked, the usual mischievous spark shining in his eyes as he bumped his fingers into Alec’s biceps. Alec let out a small laugh, and Magnus found himself mesmerized by his big, beautiful hazel eyes as he leaned closer, capturing Magnus’ lips with his.

 

“Get a room,” Jace’s voice came from the doorframe and Alec pulled back, growling and rolling his eyes.

 

Magnus giggled and used his good arm to reach for Alec’s neck, tugging him closer once more and covered his lips with his, putting on a show as sinful noises escaped both their mouths.

 

“Gross,” was all Jace replied, and Magnus could picture him scrunching his nose up in fake disgust.

 

“I think your brother is a voyeur, Alexander,” Magnus purred against Alec’s neck, making him grin.

 

“So, this is the famous Magnus, the man who’s finally made my big brother loosen up,” Magnus looked over, releasing Alec’s jawline and was met by a miniature version of Alec, who held himself up with clutches.    
  
_ Max. _   
  
Alexander had talked so much about him and how he was travelling all over Gallic. “Nice to meet you, Maxwell.” Max snorted at the name, but didn’t comment on it as he came closer and extended his hand, “I’ve heard a lot about you!”

 

“Only good things, I hope?” Max raised an inquisitive eyebrow, the smirk widening on his face as Magnus winked at him.

 

Alec went back to sit, and Magnus missed the warmth. 

 

“Don’t mind me, Alec, I’m just greeting him. You can be gross all you want after that. I’ll cover poor Jace’s eyes though. He could be shocked by such a display of intimacy.”

 

“He is my brother. I don’t want to know what he does with his boyfriend. Not more than I want to see what you or Izzy do with your partners. Ugh! Now I have all the pictures in my mind!” 

 

“Magnus was right. You are a voyeur!”

 

“Am not!”

 

“Are too. You’re disgusting.” Max smirked, and Jace pouted.

 

“Can you guys be quiet?” Isabelle intervened, the same smirk as Max printed on her red lips. “Magnus needs rest. Alec,” she pointed a finger at him, sending him a teasing look, “that applies to you too. Be careful, whatever you want to do to him.” She winked and Alec buried his head in his hands, embarrassed. Magnus fully laughed and extended his hand to lace his fingers with Alec, who looked down at him, his cheeks still flushed in the most adorable way.

 

“I can think of a thing or two that wouldn’t cause my shoulder any pain and would bring me comfort and definitely  _ pleasure _ ,” Magnus teased and Alec sent him  _ the _ look. A fit of laughter left Magnus before he hissed in pain and the laugh died in his throat.

 

“See?” Alec raised his eyebrows. “Rest.” 

 

Magnus pouted. “You’re no fun.”

 

“Really?” Alec said, arching a challenging eyebrow and Magnus could feel he was growing bolder, gears ticking in his mind as he looked at Magnus and forgot his siblings were in the room too, “You didn’t say that last night, I recall.”

 

Jace, Max and Isabelle’s eyes went wide and Alec realized what he had said, but didn’t blush this time. Instead he laughed and bent down to crouch next to where Magnus’ head was resting on the bed, and pecked his lips.

 

Isabelle clapped her hands and Max giggled. “Who are you and what have you done to our brother Alec?”

 

Alec poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue to muffle a laugh and Magnus chuckled. “I believe he is right there.” He leaned forward to kiss Alec’s inviting lips once again, deepening the kiss after a few seconds, earning a disgusted groan from Jace, whom Izzy apparently elbowed in the ribs, judging by the cry of pain that followed, before the laughter and round of applause of Alec’s siblings echoed through the room and Alec’s hand found its way toward Magnus’ neck.

 

This was when realization struck him.   
  
_ He was free, and the man he loved was by his side. _

 

Everything felt right.

 

.

 

Magnus was out of the infirmary the next morning. Alec had spent the night by his side, and they had talked about anything but their relationship. Magnus knew they’d have time to do that later, but he was kind of apprehensive, he had to admit.   
  
When morning had come, the sunlight cutting through the darkness of the night, Magnus had felt ready to face his new life as a free man, both physically and mentally. His shoulder was still hurting but the cut in his neck was healed enough, so he let Alec drag him to his room once he had assured him he was fine.   
  
He packed his stuff, not that there was much of it. He was standing in the doorframe, Alec in front of him, carrying his bag so that Magnus wouldn’t reopen his wound, when reality hit him once again. He was free and would never have to go back to the Ludus.    
  
_ It was over. _

 

Alec turned around and noticed Magnus’ thoughtful look, and took a few steps until his breath was hot and tickling against Magnus’ skin. “Are you okay?” he asked in a genuine voice, rubbing his thumb tenderly against Magnus’ cheek. Magnus leaned against Alec’s hand.

 

“I’m fine. I’m just…” he let out a breathe, “I can’t believe this is happening.”

 

“I know.” Alec kissed his nose, and Magnus smiled. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

 

At that, Magnus remembered Alec’s bold move in the arena and Valentine being arrested by the guards. He frowned. “What happened with Valentine after I passed out?”

 

Alec’s whole face became more serious. “He’s been sentenced to death for attempted murder on a Senator.”

 

“That bastard. I can’t believe he went after you.” 

 

“Actually, I think he was after you. But I was the one he fought, so I guess in the eyes of the Senate, it’s the same.”

 

“You won’t hear me complain,” Magnus countered as he placed a hand on Alec’s chest. “And seeing you fight for me was quite hot, I must admit.”

 

Alec shook his head, grinning from ear-to-ear, the little wrinkles around his eyes appearing in the most magnificent way. “I had an excellent teacher.” He smiled into the tender kiss that ensued and Magnus’ mind went blank.

 

When they broke apart slowly, eyes still closed as they basked in the sereine afterglow of their kiss, Time seemed to stand still. Magnus eventually opened his eyes only to find Alec looking at him with adoration and… love. “I’m going to talk to the Senate today,” he stated, resolution filling his eyes, his smile never leaving his face as he watched Magnus.

 

Magnus’ both eyebrows shot up at the same time. “You’re ready?”

 

Alec nodded. “I am.” He rested a hand on Magnus’ hip. “Look, Magnus, I don’t care what other people think. If the people of Rome can’t accept this,  _ us _ , then I don’t want to stay in Rome anymore. I’ll stay by your side for as long as you want me to.”

 

It took a while to Magnus to process Alec’s words, to let them sink in. He hadn’t said the words yet, and neither had Magnus, but Magnus was a firm believer that actions spoke louder than words and Alec had made his statement when he had kissed him in the middle of the arena, surrounded by thousands of people.    
  
Magnus felt the butterflies deep inside his stomach. “That’s gonna be a long, long time, my sweet Alexander.”

 

Alec’s eyes shined with happiness. “I -,” he began, whispering as he nuzzled against Magnus’ nose, licking his lips as his eyes flickered between Magnus’ mouth and eyes, “I love you, Magnus.”

 

Magnus’ eyes filled with tears as he rested his forehead against Alec’s. “I love you too. So much.” He grinned, the muscles aching, and when Alec kissed him, muttering quietly those three little words that held so much power over and over, he felt like life had never burdened him nor caused him pain.

 

.

 

Magnus had said he’d wait outside, as they had already caused a stir the day before. Alec had agreed, because he had to do this alone. He had to face his demons and the Senate, among which his parents. 

 

_ He could do this. _

 

He let finally let go of Magnus’ hand, not before Magnus pressed his lips against his knuckles as encouragement, eliciting a smile from Alec, and he turned around, facing the open gates that led to the main, circular room.

 

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself, mustering all the courage he could find, and dove into the building, his mind set and clear, Magnus’ hopeful, determined face never leaving his thoughts. He used it to ground himself as he entered the pit.

 

Most of the Senators were already there, on the upper part of the room, sitting on the stone benches, chatting with serious expressions all over their faces. Alec gulped and stood tall. He cleared his throat, gathering all the attention on himself.

 

There was a time when it would have been enough for him to stutter and his mind to go blank. This time was over.   
  
“I can do this”, he repeated under his breath, like a mantra.

 

His eyes ran over the assembly, and he held his head high. “Good afternoon, gentlemen,” he began, careful to keep his breathing even, “I have requested a meeting and have been authorized to speak in front of you all, as I bare my soul to your judgment and the Gods’.” 

 

As the words came flowing out of his throat, he felt less and less stressed out. “I have become your equal, a Senator, and have pledged my life to the Republic of Rome and its well-being, not so long ago. You must know that during my studies as I waited, hopeful, to ascend and join this assembly, never have I encountered a holy text that saw my recent actions as an oathbreaker.”

 

Silence stretched across the arena, and Alec watched as every single pair of eyes was riveted on him, every Senator was listening to him talk. Alec’s gaze found Luke’s, and he felt himself breathe a little easier. Luke’s eyes were kind and he was smiling. He invited Alec to continue with a gesture of his hand and Alec nodded.

 

He swallowed, before he resumed talking. “You may have been surprised yesterday. I want you to know that I regret nothing, and that, if the opportunity presented itself once again, there is nothing I would change. I would still cross the pit of the Coliseum to go and reach the man I love.”

 

Eyes widened in the room and Alec smirked. “Yes. I am in love with a man, who has earned his freedom. Yes, I am gay.” He balled his hands into fists behind his back. “I have a hard time believing that I am the only one whose sexuality is being discriminated against and pushed aside in this room. Who I love should not matter. I am no less competent than you are because I love men. Same sex relationships are accepted among the Plebeians. Why should Patricians be treated any differently? We may rule the territory, but we are no Gods. We take decisions, we believe in the Gods, that much is true, but we are humans. By Jupiter, even Gods have no care at all for their peers’ sexualities. They accept one another, as we should.”

 

Alec closed his eyes for a second, and heard something - someone - shift, behind him. He turned around to see Magnus, Isabelle, Jace, Max, Clary and Simon standing in the hallway, watching him perform, big smiles on their faces. Alec’s eyes found Magnus’, and his determination burned once again in his ribcage.

 

“I am a devoted Senator of Rome. My priority is the well-being of this Republic. However, this is a Democracy.” His eyes drifted left and right once again, to make sure everyone was listening to him, to convince them all of his sincerity. “Should you think that the Gods would not approve of me, I will retire without questioning your judgment. But, I think this might be the opportunity to change some mistakes that have been made in the past. Society evolves and so do laws. Give to all citizens of Rome the same rights. Tell them they are all equals. Make a change. Do the right thing.”

 

He didn’t know what to say anymore, so he just finished. “Thank you for listening.”

 

The room remained silent as Alec waited for someone - anyone - to speak, dread creeping its way inside his chest before he shook it away. Of course it was Luke who opened his mouth first, sending a warm smile to Alec. “This is one powerful speech you have delivered here, Alexander Lux Lignum.” He turned to the Senators. “Let’s proceed to the vote.”

 

Alec inhaled sharply. He didn’t care if they turned him down. He’d just remove his toga and leave Rome to never return. He’d take Magnus, his siblings and his friends with him. Luke as well, he pondered. Luke was too good for the other Senators anyway.

 

“Who is opposed to seeing Alexander leave this assembly?” 

 

Simple question. Raised hands were his allies.

 

Luke was the first to raise his, and Alec nodded, thankful, as he smiled. 

 

After that, it was a blur. Another hand was raised. Then another. Then another, until at least the third-quarter of the Senators had their hands reaching up for the sky. 

 

Alec wanted to cry. He observed the scene in front of him with teary eyes, as he noticed his father, hand lifted up, an apologetic look on his features, and Alec gulped, a weight he hadn’t known was there leaving his chest.

 

“Then this is it. Welcome home, Senator Alexander,” Luke finally stated, grinning and Alec felt his heart skip a beat as the soft touch of Magnus’ fingers grazed against his forearm all the way down to his hand.

 

Everything was going to be okay.

 

.

 

“I can’t believe Ragnor, Raphael and Catarina chose this time of the year to come back to Rome,” Magnus said, pouting, as he leaned against the railing of the ship. “We’ve seen them like what? Three days? And then we had to sail away to Alexandria.”

 

“I told you you could stay and catch up with them.” Alec pressed his lips against his earlobe as he hugged him from behind. Magnus turned around in his arms, smirking.

 

“And let you go to Egypt, visit Alexander the Great’s city and see the Great Library without me? I don’t think so.” He poked Alec in the chest with a finger teasingly.

 

“I know you miss them and it’s been two years since you last saw them,” Alec pondered. “Although I won’t say I’m not happy you decided to come with me. I could use a General of the Roman Army to protect me,” he said as he tugged on the lapels of Magnus’ soldier attire. 

 

“It’s a diplomatic mission, Alexander,” Magnus deadpanned.

 

Alec gasped, offended, and brought a hand against his heart. “You don’t know what could happen!”

 

“You spend too much time with me, love. You’ve become the perfect drama queen, I’m so proud.” Magnus laughed, faking wiping a tear off his eyes, and then leaned his head in the crook of Alec’s neck.

 

They remained silent for a while, Magnus basking in the warmth of Alec’s body and arms surrounding him, in the caress of the breeze against his skin as they sailed across the sea all the way to Egypt. 

 

Magnus had travelled a lot in his life, but never had his wandering heart be so content than since he had found Alec over two years ago now, to be by his side as he discovered the marvels this world had to offer. 

 

He ran his thumb across Alec’s shoulder absentmindedly, and Alec leaned even closer in their tight embrace. 

 

The Senate hadn’t revoked Alec’s status nor his legitimity, which was a good thing for them because Magnus would have come after them, taking the bigoted assholes down one by one if that had been the case.   
  
Nonetheless, Alec had wanted to travel, so he had become the Senate’s prime missionary, and was set for diplomatic meetings all over the world, and Magnus gladly came with him, most of the time.

 

Being an excellent fighter, Magnus had joined the Roman army with the help of Jace and of the money Alec had earned from being his sponsor, and had climbed the ladder to finally become a very respected Roman general. After that, he had done everything he could to be assigned to Alec’s protection, successfully, which meant he could spend most of his time with Alec.

 

Memories of the last two years rushed into his mind, and Magnus smiled. He had never thought he could have a happy life two years ago. He had never hoped for a future, and even less for a good one. He still thought about his mother sometimes, wishing she could be by his side and meet Alec, see how wonderful he was. He had no doubt she would have loved him.   
  
Magnus had found a family thanks to Alec. He already miss their little group, but he couldn’t be happier. Everyone had worked hard and was happy with their lives.

 

Isabelle was now a very renowned physician in the Army, Max was on his way to become a Senator just like his big brother, Jace had climbed the ladder with him and was also a General, Clary’s Art was now praised and everyone wanted her to paint their frescos, and Simon was still working at the Library, enjoying a good book. And the last time Alec and Magnus had seen Luke, he was giving them the parchment that gave their mission a meaning, smiling at them and going all mother hen on them, telling them to be careful and to enjoy Egypt.

 

_ Yes, Magnus truly felt blessed.  _   
  


And now here he was, in Alec’s arms, on his way to visit a country that had always interested him from the first time he had read about it many years ago, long before he had met Alec.

 

He heard seagulls cry from afar, as the ship got further and further away from the shore, and Magnus lifted his head, cupping Alec’s face with both his hands. He looked at Alec with open admiration and love. “Maybe you’re the greatest conqueror who has ever walked the Earth.”

 

Alec tilted his head to the side, amused, his eyes shining with happiness and curiosity. “How so?”

 

“Well, you did conquer my heart,” Magnus breathed out against Alec’s mouth, tugging gently at Alec’s bottom lip. 

 

Alec nuzzled against his cheek. “You’re so sappy.”

 

When his eyes found Alec’s again, Magnus winked and he knew Alec noticed the teasing sparkle in them. Magnus leaned forward, his mouth ghosting over his ear. “And you did make your way further into the East than he ever did.” He licked his lips. “I’m the East.”    
  
“By Jupiter,” Alec chuckled, grabbing Magnus’ hips with force and pushing him to sit on the railing, “that was your worst one yet.” He let out a laugh as he kissed Magnus’ jawline. Magnus complied, moaning, his head falling backwards on its own accord as Alec continued his restless assault on Magnus’ neck, the rhythmical crashing of the waves against the body of the ship inaudible, muffled by Magnus and Alec’s combined breaths and moans as they kept kissing like their lives depended on it.

 

And maybe they did.

 

Two years had passed since Magnus had been freed from his gladiator’s duty, and had found his peace of mind. 

 

With Alec by his side, he felt invincible. They both were. As long as they stayed together, they were untouchable; they were Gods.

 

Gods of Rome.

 

_ Romae Dei. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? What was good? What was bad?   
> I hope I didn't disappoint too much, but if it's the case, please, write me a little something to tell me what you didn't like! ;)
> 
> And is there anything you'll remember from this little story I've written? :)
> 
> Please tell me everything <3
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading & see you another time, for another story! xoxo


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